A Touch of May
by mintyroses
Summary: The Valentines Day incident was strange. So strange that May and Edd and the other cul-de-sac kids decided to forget about it. Life seemed to go back to normal...until Edd's beanie comes off in front of May after a failed scam. And to keep her quiet comes with problems he hadn't asked for. That day, though it was meant to be harmless, was the start of a whole lot of chaos.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _Heyo, I'm back with a new fanfic because I'm currently procrastinating on my KND fanfic *cough cough* ma bad. I'm hoping it'll help get my creative juices flowing but I'm super excited 'cos this one is on my all-time, favourite childhood cartoon Ed Edd n Eddy! After re-watching that Valentine's episode, I couldn't help but ship Edd and May together, like they're just so weirdly cute together! _

_Anyway, hope you enjoy this cute, random fic cos I know I'm certainly having fun writing it! _

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

Edd stared at his ant farm with a magnifying glass, humming to himself before scribbling down some notes in his notebook. "I see," he mumbled. "That's certainly interesting."

"And what are _you_ mumbling about over here, Sockhead?" Eddy asked sarcastically, peering over the beanie-wearing boy's skinny, almost non-existent, shoulders.

"My ants are rapidly increasing in size and producing ab-"

"YAWN!" exclaimed Eddy as he backed away and plopped onto his bed, rolling his eyes. "Can't ya ever talk about somethin' interesting for once?"

Edd stiffly turned back to his beautiful ant farm with a sigh. "Kindly refrain from placing your dirty shoes on my bed, Eddy."

"Quit being such a nag, Double D, and help me come up with somethin', will ya?"

"I shall decline your offer of scamming the neighbourhood yet again as I have noticed they," he cleared his throat and turned to give Eddy a blank stare, "_never_ seem to work, Eddy."

The short boy scoffed and sat up straight, crossing his arms. Edd's eyes slid to the side to see where Ed was; the tall, somewhat scatterbrained, boy sat in front of the TV with a dopey smile as he watched what he usually did. Monsters and fish and aliens.

_Wait…_

"What on earth are you indulging in, Ed? _Fish_ attacking a monster? How absurd!" he couldn't help but exclaim. Eddy cackled from behind them.

"This is Ed we're talkin' about, Double D. He's the definition of absurd!"

"But Double D," Ed whined like a child, "this is the newest episode of the Intergalactic MonsterFish Wars Season Five!"

Edd wasn't sure he caught all of that but forced a wobbly smile and nodded. "Uh-huh...sure Ed. You just...keep on watching, I suppose," he replied warily before turning his eyes back onto more important matters.

There was peaceful silence amongst them once again until loud roaring and crashing noises echoed throughout the house and stunned Edd. He froze, cringing and body arched inwards as the sound seemed to rattle his eardrums.

"Good lord, Ed, can't yo—"

"Did you guys see that?!" Ed exclaimed, happily guffawing as he pointed to the TV. "That fish just devoured that monster that looks like Eddy!"

Eddy glared at one of his best friends, face red with rage. "Whadja just say, lumpy!?"

"I said it looks like you Eddy! It's so cute and short and ugly!" An eager Ed plopped down on the bed beside Eddy with thundering force, causing the latter to shoot right through the roof.

"Ow," a mumble came from up above. Edd dropped what he was doing and looked up, face scrunched up.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ed!" he let out in a huff. "You damaged my roof!"

"Who cares about your dang roof?!" Eddy burst out, his voice muffled from having his head stuck on the other side of the house. "My head's literally gone through the roof!"

Edd cringed, bringing his clasped hands up to his chest as he looked up. "Why, yes, Eddy, that does look quite painful. Are you alright?"

"Oh I don't know Double D, I'm doing just fin—MY HEAD'S STUCK THROUGH THE ROOF. WHADDYA THINK!?"

"Should we get Eddy down, Double D?" Ed asked as he stared up at the roof. "Cos I've got gravy we can share!"

Edd smiled, warmly at the big boy. "That is very sweet of you, Ed." Then, he swallowed the lump down in his throat that made him want to vomit at the gravy in his pockets mixed around hair and mouldy old soap. "But I think I'll pass."

"Hello!? Did ya guys forget about me or somethin'!? I'm stuck in the roof!"

"Yes, Eddy," Edd emphasised as he brought out a contraption from his emergency tool kit closet. "We can very well see that since we do have eyes."

"Whatever. Just hurry it up, Sockhead."

Edd could just picture him rolling his eyes without him even having to be next to them. With a sigh, he pressed a red button, turning on the machine. It was a sizeable claw-like hand fixed to a remote control; it grabbed both of Eddy's legs and, with a push of another button, yanked him down from the roof with a pop.

"Now, that should teach you not to mess about in my room, Eddy."

He scoffed as he got up on shaky legs, his face a little bruised. "You should be tellin' that to numbskull over there, not me. I didn't do nothin'."

"You must have provoked him somehow."

He bitterly mumbled, "Provoked him, my-"

He was cut off by Ed hugging him so tight, he swore he heard his ribs crack. Once he put him down, he laughed in the usual dopey way he did. "Eddy, come watch the next episode with me!"

"Shut up, idiot. You nearly killed me twice, now!"

"Now, now Eddy, let's not exaggerate," Edd interjected, his back still turned to them as he continued scribbled his investigations down on his notebook. Eddy with narrowed eyes, stalked over and grabbed the book, flinging it to Ed who chewed on it. Edd let out a scream, pulling his beanie all the way down to his jaw. "No, Ed, don't eat that! It holds my significant observations that are difficult to obtain upon first glance!"

"Too late," Eddy said with his arms crossed, snickering as he glanced between his two friends. "Ed's already digesting it!"

Edd could feel one of his eye twitching, but he tried to relax, breathing out calmly. Turning around, he cleared his throat. "I suppose I can...write my notes from the very start. Considering my ants aren't harmed, neither is the information I can attain."

"Ugh, whatever. Do you ever talk about important stuff?"

"Like scams?" Edd muttered, sarcastically.

"Like scams!" Eddy yelled, talking over him as if he hadn't heard his beanie-wearing friend. Grabbing him by the top of his hat, with his other hand, he clutched Ed by the collar. "C'mon, lumpy, we've gotta scam to do!"

"What scam? We haven't properly discussed anything," Edd squeaked out, keeping a tight grip on his hat so that Eddy wouldn't rip it off his head as he ran.

A few seconds later, that felt like hours to Edd, Eddy chucked his two friends on the ground, between the two fences that obscured the view from the other cul-de-sac kids. He peered around the corner, eyes narrowed before tip-toeing back to where the other two were.

"Mind explaining what the plan is?" Edd rubbed his head, eyes squinting and mouth scrunched up. "Or if there is any plan at all."

"Plans are dumb," Ed exclaimed randomly.

"Right!" Eddy scoffed, jabbing a thumb in Ed's direction. "See, bonehead gets it, Double D." When Edd didn't move and only gave him a blank, exasperated look, Eddy rolled his eyes. "I know what I'm doing! Besides, a plan is for dorks and we ain't no dorks." He then glanced at the skinny friend who observed him. "At least, not all of us."

Edd couldn't help but frown, his body tense as he bristled. "_Well_," he spat aggrieved, before sighing, quickly relaxing his shoulders. "Alright, fine. Please, enlighten us with your idea, then."

"Oh, I will." The three-haired boy snickered to himself, rubbing his hands together. "Flying through the roof gave me an idea—these kids will give anything to excite their otherwise dull lives."

Edd shared a glance with Ed, whose eyes seemed to be looking two ways at once. The lanky boy shook his head. "I fail to see where you're going with this, Eddy."

"Remember that gum you made and Ed blew a huge bubble?"

"Yes?" Edd said, reluctantly, scrunching up his face as he watched Eddy, still confused.

"And how Melonhead fell for the bait that it was a hot air balloon?"

"Where are you-"

"So, that's what we'll do, Einstein!"

"What are you talking about, Eddy?" Ed asked, with a tilt of his head. Eddy looked between both his confused friends and face-palmed.

"Do I have to do all the thinking 'round here?!" he exclaimed to the sky.

Edd stepped forward with a gentle smile, hands clasped together. "Well, actually Eddy, Ed and I do a great deal-"

He created a mock puppet talking with his hands. "Blah, blah—shut up, Sockhead." Edd's smile vanished, and his straight posture slackened. "Look, I'm talking about creatin' a blimp!"

"With the gum that I had made quite some time ago? I'm afraid it's lost somewhere in," Edd warily glanced at Ed, his face suddenly green. He watched as flies swarmed around the tall, air-headed boy's figure; a foul odour of moulding food rising in the air. He gulped as he tried to finish his sentence. "His _pocket_," he concluded, dramatically.

"Quit being dramatic and just get it, will ya?"

"But, Eddy-"

"Nope. No buts, Double D. Now, go on, get."

"B-But, _Eddy_," he stressed again, stammering wildly as Eddy pushed him towards the tallest one out of them. His legs trembled uncontrollably as they caved inwards and he tried to think of an alternative. "Reusing the same scam is quite...feeble, is it not? Why don't we just make a blimp out of strong synthetic fabric and materials found in everyday household items?"

"That wasn't English, Double D," Ed said with a dopey chuckle. Eddy gave a side-glance to his friend.

"Yeah, what lumpy said." He crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. "Can you repeat that in proper English?"

Edd's posture slackened as he tried to simplify his words. "We need blankets, bags and a large picnic basket to make a blimp." Eddy brightened up at this and Edd sighed. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

As Ed and Eddy cheered at the prospect of making a blimp, the latter stopped to cackle, and Edd swore he could see the drool leaking down from his mouth.

"I can't wait 'till we've got enough moolah to buy those sweet, mouth-watering jawbreakers," he said, almost in a daze. Edd couldn't help but join in—it had been quite some time since they had those large, round balls of sweetness.

"Yes, that does sound quite appetising," he said, smiling widely, bringing his clasped hands up to his cheek.

"Jawbreakers!" Ed screamed, grabbing the two unsuspecting boys upside down and running off.

"Ed!" Edd squeaked out, feeling his stomach playing up. "I'm gonna be sick!" He quickly placed his hands over his mouth, the contents rising up in his throat.

"Double D, you better not spew now," Eddy warned, looking just as disoriented as he did. He then tried to turn his head to look at his friend. "Put us down, stupid!"

"Not yet, Eddy, we're not at Double D's house yet," Ed said.

"Just put us down!"

"Okay!" Instead of being gentle as Eddy had wanted, he was dropped on his head. Immediately, he saw stars as pain struck him in the head.

"Good job, Ed," he said, groggy, "you deserve an Emmy award." With that, he fell flat on his back as if he had been knocked out.

"Oops, Eddy is sleeping now," Ed stated, grabbing the fallen boy and chucking him over his shoulder as if he was a sack of potatoes. "It's okay, now. I've got you, Eddy!" The short boy just moaned in response.

Edd, on the other hand, groaned in pain as some loose pebbles dug into his stomach; he had fallen flat on his belly rather than his head. Rolling onto his back, he lay there for a couple of seconds before the graveness of the situation fell upon him, and he snapped his eyes open. In a rush, he got up quickly, casting a disgraced glance at where he had just fallen and rubbed his shirt clean of any dirt, shuddering all the while.

"Dirty, dirty, dirty," he muttered.

"Come on, Double D! Jawbreakers!" Ed exclaimed with excitement.

"Yes, Ed." Edd straightened up, slightly relieved that he had managed to get rid of any bacteria festering in the fabric of his favourite shirt, and journeyed into his home. Ed followed behind him with Eddy still on his shoulder. "Let us begin, shall we?"

* * *

"Come right up to Eddy's Blimp Rides, only 25 cents!" Eddy roared with a wide grin, spreading his arms out as an invitation. Edd and Ed were currently sitting in the basket that served as the makeshift gondola to carry passengers. The blankets were sewn together and tied at the end where Edd's small fan contraption had blown air into it, causing it to inflate like a horizontal balloon. The fill spout was held together by tape, and the whole thing itself was held together by a rod from one of Ed's curtains.

A single battery was taped to one end to ensure sufficient weight and a temporary motor, that Edd had built out of a magnet, wire and a battery, was taped to the other. He held a small, white remote control with a switch button to start the blimp but waited as Eddy spoke.

The cul-de-sac kids stood in front of them as if an audience watching an entertaining cartoon. Except they looked anything but entertained. In fact, they seemed annoyed—if the raised eyebrow and sceptical glances they shared with each other was any sign.

"Oh, come _on_," Eddy exclaimed, eyes wide. "This is the ride of the century! You can't beat our blimp rides, guys. You can trust me on that one."

"Why should we trust you on anything, dork?" Kevin retorted, crossing his arms. Eddy's face turned to a shade of red that both Ed and Edd had seen multiple times before.

"Uh oh, Eddy's gonna burst, Double D!" Ed yelled without any warning. Edd face-palmed.

"Why I oughta—" Eddy stopped himself from attacking Kevin, a fight that he wouldn't win, and took deep breaths to calm himself down. "I'll show you can trust me, Kev. Why don't you just try it, huh? Be our first customer?" he said instead through gritted teeth, forcing a very fake smile.

The twelve-year-old boy in the long-sleeved green outfit scoffed as he looked Eddy up and down with disdain. "And why would I do that?"

"Cos our blimp rides will take you anywhere, anytime and just with a click of a button! It'll only cost you a quarter," Eddy said, hyping himself up again as the sly grin was plastered back onto his face. His eyes were practically dollar signs, and Edd swore he could hear a faint 'cha-ching' noise in the background.

"Did you hear that Ed?" Edd leaned into his tall friend, mouth pulled into a worried frown.

"Shh, Double D. Eddy's trying to lie to everyone."

Edd gave him a strange look but patted his shoulder—it was Ed, after all. He loved him like a brother, but in all honesty, he didn't really expect too much from him.

"Lame!" Kevin yelled, forcing a yawn. "Only losers would wanna go on this lame-o ride!" At seeing Eddy's seething figure, he obnoxiously laughed out loud before walking off. Nazz shot a sympathetic glance towards them.

"Sorry, dudes," she offered, placing a flyaway blonde hair behind her ear before walking off behind him.

Jonny skipped over with Plank glued to his side. A full, goofy smile framed his face. "We'll go on the ride, Eddy."

Jimmy jumped up beside him, Sarah holding his hand as they both grinned. "We wanna go, too!"

Edd's eyes widened at this; he hadn't expected them all to want to try the blimp ride. Or, at best, he had expected some sort of queue. But, seeing Eddy trying to usher them towards both Ed and Edd without a care in the world caused his throat to suddenly go dry. So, he quickly jumped in. "Eddy," he hissed from behind, "the blimp can't accommodate the weight of more than three people!"

"Then, just get rid of Ed or somethin'," Eddy hissed from behind his shoulder. The smile on the kids' faces was starting to vanish, so he brought out an empty jar from behind him. "Just place your money in here, and you'll all be off in the air!"

"_Eddy_," Edd hissed again, urgently. He needed to let Eddy know that the blimp would fall apart if they climbed in. But, he just ignored him.

"Did ya hear that, Plank? We'll be soaring all over the world!" he exclaimed, Jimmy and Sarah, standing beside him as they stood in front of the blimp. Edd's eyebrows were pulled down into a frown, his hands twitching a little as he panicked.

"Actually, Jonny, the blimp will only be suspended in the air above the cul-de-sac. It doesn't have the power of a real blimp, so we can't quite take you around the world," Edd advised good-naturedly.

Jimmy's eyes seemed to widen, giving him a doe-eyed look. "So, we can't even travel?" he asked, his pouty mouth tilted down into a deep frown.

"No, but uh, you'll be able to take in the beautiful sights of Peach Creek!" He offered with a wobbly smile. "Which, I assure you, is worth every penny."

"Well, I'm taking mine and Plank's back. We wanted to travel the world, not just the neighbourhood!" Jonny went to turn away when Eddy ran up to him, slinging an arm over his shoulder.

"Jonny boy! Don't listen to _him," _he said, thrusting a thumb in Edd's direction, shooting him an annoyed glance in the process. "All that reading and smart boy work have finally gotten to his head. He's crazy, I tell ya! Just trust me when I say you'll be soarin' through the world not once, but twice!"

"But Double D said-"

"Double D'll say anythin' to ruin people's dreams," he said, pointedly glancing at his friend who shuffled in his seat uncomfortably. "Don't listen to him."

"But Eddy," Double D couldn't help but speak up. "The blimp really can't fly over the world. It doesn't have the capacity to do so, nor is it capable of holding more than three passengers!"

"What?!" Sarah snapped.

Jonny shot Eddy a frown. "I thought you said we could trust you, Eddy."

Eddy spluttered at this, spit literally falling out of his mouth as he tried to speak. "I—well, you can!" He chuckled nervously, face turning redder by the second. "Double D just woke up on the wrong side of bed. That's why he's such a sour puss!"

"I don't think so," Jonny said, a little wary. He glanced down at Plank and looked him in the 'eyes'. "What do you think, buddy?"

The deep silence as everyone waited for Plank's opinion engulfed them all. Until Ed, of course.

"Why is no one talking, guys!?"

Eddy glowered at him. "Shut up, idiot," he forced through clenched teeth. His eyes went back to Jonny, who was still staring at the Plank of wood. One eye began twitching with impatience. "What's good ol' Plank sayin', huh? He must be sayin' he wants to go on our electrifying ride!"

"Nope. Plank says you guys are lying."

If Eddy could burst like a balloon, he probably would have at that moment. Edd's stomach flip-flopped as red hot anger caused Eddy's face to swell up.

"What?!" he yelled, jumping five feet into the air. Jonny began to walk away, and Eddy clenched his fists, yelling at his back. "We ain't lyin'!"

"Boy, they sure are crazy, Plank." They heard Jonny say from a fair bit away. Sarah, instead of fuming as Edd thought she would be, snickered alongside Jimmy.

"You sure are idiots," Sarah commented, holding her belly as she laughed. Jimmy giggled from beside her, covering his mouth with his delicate, pale hands. But, it was cut short by the venomous look that was shot his way by Eddy.

"S-Sarah, let's go. Eddy's being mean," he whined, clutching onto her. She cradled him close to her. The laughter was replaced by a vicious growl from Sarah. It was aimed at the boy who was the same height as her.

"Eddy," she emphasised, voice low with warning. The mentioned looked around in disbelief, raising his arms in the air.

"I didn't do nothin'!" he exclaimed. "I've been standin' right here the entire time."

"Well, Jimmy said you were being mean to him, and I believe him!"

"Then there's probably something wrong with you, you little brat," Eddy spat. Just when Sarah growled once again and went to step menacingly towards him, the remaining Eds got out of the blimp and ran towards them.

"Stop, baby sister! Don't hurt Eddy, he's nice!"

"Shut up, Ed! I'm telling mom you were mean!"

It was then that Edd noticed the blimp floating slowly above them. "Uh...Eddy?"

"What?" he turned snapping. But, any remaining words got caught in his throat as he watched the blimp float away. "Oh, great. Good job, Double D. Now, look what ya did!"

"What?!" Edd exclaimed, left eye twitching at his accusation. "Perhaps if you had listened to me for once, this might not have happened."

"So now you're turning this onto me, huh?!" As they argued, behind them, Ed was now on his knees, grovelling.

"No, please, my sweet, kind little sister, don't tell mom!" Edd rubbed his face; he needed to stop this situation—and quick before it got out of hand as he knew it would.

"Ed, that is quite enough." Turning away from Eddy, he helped Ed get up and comforted the big lug who cried on his shoulder. "Sarah, I guarantee you we are innocent." Then, in a much more gentle manner, said, "Mayhap Jimmy mistook Eddy's anger directed at his failed scam," he ignored the glare that he was now getting from the boy mentioned above and continued, "to be aimed at him?"

Sarah seemed to relax somewhat at this explanation, and Jimmy stopped his sniffling. Edd knew the little boy tolerated him and Ed more so than Eddy and hoped his gentle ways was enough to soothe him.

"Is that true, Eddy?" Jimmy asked in that baby voice of his. Eddy shoved his hands in his pockets, looking away, muttering incoherently to himself.

"Whadja say?" Sarah asked in a threatening tone.

"Eddy," Edd hissed urgently. He desperately needed him to go along with it.

"Fine! Geez. Yeah, I wasn't mad at ya, just at my 'failed' scam," he said, before mumbling his next words, "which wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Double D bein' such a sook."

Edd pretended he didn't hear Eddy and smiled at the two younger kids in front of them.

"Good." Sarah shot them all a glare before taking a, still sniffling Jimmy, away. As soon as they were out of sight, Eddy jumped onto Edd, grabbing him by the collar.

"You traitor! How could you just ruin the scam like that?!"

Edd struggled to get him off, choking at the lack of air his grip did to him. "Can't...breathe..." He then glanced at Ed, who stood there idly. "ED," he gargled out, "a little help would be greatly appreciated!" He yelled with all his might.

"Oops," Ed said with a chuckle and grabbed Eddy away from him. "There ya go, Double D!"

After Eddy was safely removed from his being, he rubbed his throat and adjusted his shirt back to the way it was as he got up.

"Eddy, if we were to go ahead with the scam, surely we would have all been injured. The blimp would have been utterly destroyed under all our weight!"

"I don't care! That would have been the scam of the century, Double D, don't you get it?"

"Actually, I do. However, the wellbeing of our fellow friends is more important than some scam."

Eddy's jaw clenched tightly. "Ugh, you're such a nag. And it wasn't 'some' scam! It was _the_ scam!"

Edd rubbed his face with one hand, slightly drained. "Then, we'll just have to make another one."

The short boy scoffed. "It's not so easy, ya know. My ideas don't just grow on trees."

"Trees?" Ed echoed. "Trees are good for you, Eddy!"

Edd looked between his two friends with squinted eyes, scratching his head. "What?"

Eddy brightened at the mention of it and rubbed his hands together, cackling. Ed joined in, leaving a slightly terrified Edd watching them. "W-what are you thinking, Eddy?" he asked, voice squeaky.

"Oh, nothing, Double D." His eyes glinted. "Just got an idea."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"No, Eddy, please! I'm sorry, I'll do anything you want! I'll—I'll rebuild the blimp, and we can do the scam, just please get me off this thing!" he yelled, his voice raising few octaves. "The wind isn't suitable for this trajectory, Eddy! I won't survive!"

Edd was currently strapped to a green plastic wagon, placed on the crown of a tree. It was bent backwards by Ed to propel the smart boy into the air. This was the so-called 'idea' that Eddy had come up with—it was for nothing but revenge.

"Too late for that," Eddy said, chuckling. "We'll see you on the other side, Sockhead!" And with that, he slapped Ed's back. This signalled the strong boy to let go of the end of the tree, flinging a high-pitched screaming Edd into the air, soaring at a rapid speed.

A blur of green, brown and blue filled his vision—due to the speed of his flight, he couldn't really tell where he was being sent to. All he could understand was that his stomach was queasy, and if he didn't land soon, the contents of his breakfast were going to come out.

"AHHH!" His throat was scratchy due to the endless scream that emerged until his whole body smacked into a cold, hard material. He groaned in pain as his body peeled away from it slowly and fell straight to the floor. The contact with the rough concrete made him cry further as small stones were digging into his back. Rubbing his lower back, he slowly encouraged himself to get up, but then froze when a loud smack of a door hitting against something hard, resonated throughout the quiet area.

"Hey, Double D!" a husky voice rang out.

And that was when Edd finally looked up, every bone in his body quivering as if he had taken an ice-cold shower. He was at the trailer park and had landed right in front of the Kanker's trailer.

_Just my luck, _Edd thought bitterly.

"H-hello there," he said, trying to keep the quiver out of his voice. It took everything within him to not to squeak at the sight of the blonde-haired girl who looked at him with a small grin. He gulped. "How are you doing on this fine day, May?"

"I'm doing okay?" She looked confused now, her eyes darting around behind him. "Where's Ed, Double D?"

Now it was Edd's turn to be a little confused. He narrowed his eyes and tried to scuffle back as he spoke. "Uh, Ed's gone on a little vacation, you see." Lying through his teeth was despicable to Edd, but in this case, when it came to the Kankers, it had to be done. "I am expected to be there, as well. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, I landed here, and now I need to go back. _Urgently_."

May seemed to think this through, much to Edd's surprise. His eyebrows were pulled down as he studied the slightly short, buck-toothed girl. She didn't seem to be so bad when she wasn't smirking and maliciously violating them.

"I see," she hummed. "Then, would you like to come inside for something to drink, first? You look a little sick."

This was another side of May he hadn't witnessed. Of course, being alone with her was a big alarm bell waiting to set off. Every fibre of his being was against it. That, and it reminded him of that fateful day where he had found himself holding her hand. Whatever happened was beyond him, but it had happened because they had time together. He didn't want whatever repeat of that to happen again. Definitely not with a Kanker sister.

So, he cleared his throat. Despite May being a Kanker, he wanted to be polite. "O-Oh, well that is very sweet of you, but I'm afraid I must decline. You see, I'm in a hurry."

"Oh." She nodded, eyes downcast. "I get it, Double D. You can go, I won't bother you." It was then that he really noticed May's expression. She wasn't her usual bubbly and...strange self. She looked upset; eyes baggy and mouth in a frown. Edd didn't know why; he didn't understand why he said what he did, but before he could stop himself, the words had come out.

"Actually, May. I-I shall take you up on that offer." Though it was meant to be polite, it came out wary. At the wide grin she offered him, he forced a wobbly smile, increasingly regretting his words as he slowly walked in the trailer.

He was fully expecting her sisters to jump out of their hiding places, namely Marie, and latch onto him, kissing him until there was no place left on him to smooch. He gulped, feeling his whole body trembling.

"M-May, is it alright if I ask you something?"

She shut the door, further worsening his fears. His eyes widened, and he could feel his legs wanting to give way; however, he forced himself to stand on two feet.

"Sure, Double D," she said casually, hopping away to the kitchen. He was left alone in the living room, but he remained in the middle, not moving. He didn't want to risk wandering. His eyes darted to the door, ready to run out when things got too weird.

Since he had accepted her offer, it would be rude if he ran out now.

_Curse my gentlemanly ways, _he thought to himself, as he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Um, mayhap I ask where your...sisters are?" He didn't want to know the answer to that. He could feel his heart pumping against his ribs painfully as if trying to get out.

May came back with some orange juice, the deep frown from before back on her face. "Oh. They're...out. They'll be back soon, though."

Edd choked on his own saliva. A droplet of cold sweat slid down from his beanie, all the way down the collar of his loose shirt. "S-Soon?" he squeaked out. His hand trembled as he reached out to grab the glass from May. He warily studied the contents as he did so, still not so trusting of her sudden good behaviour.

Her eyes carefully roamed Edd's face, her face surprisingly serious before that familiar silly grin broke out. "Don't worry about them, Double D. You can leave soon after you finish your juice and I won't tell them you were here! Promise!"

This time, Edd choked on his juice, the sugary goodness dripping down his chin, but he wasn't paying attention to that. May gasped and ran back into the kitchen. He just didn't understand why she was so...uncharacteristically understanding. As Edd thought this, the cold and uncomfortable feeling on his chin became apparent. He contorted his face in disgust as he flailed his hand around.

"Sticky, sticky, sticky," he mumbled, frantically looking around for something to get rid of it. In a flash, May was running back with a wet tissue in her hand.

"Here ya go! You might wanna get rid of that soon, or your chin's gonna feel real sticky," she advised, looking at his chin with furrowed brows. Edd took the tissue away from her hand. He was wary of her kindness, but his body was unconsciously starting to relax because of it, too.

_Perhaps...she is in a good mood today? _He didn't think Kankers even had good moods. He tried not to question it and downed his juice in one go, something he never did so that he could leave. Just when he handed her the glass back, he turned to go.

"Well, this was intriguing, and I thank you for your...hospitality, but I must really get going now," Edd rushed out, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he reached out to open the door.

"Wait, Double D—" As he stepped foot outside, May yanked him back by the top of his beanie. Due to the unexpected force of the action, his whole body spun flung back like a sling-shot, crashing into May in the process. As his body made contact with hers, he heard a soft pop from above him, but he ignored it. He was too busy writhing in pain at the harsh touch as they both tumbled onto the floor ungraciously.

Edd groaned in pain for the tenth time that day, but it caught in his throat as his eyes met May's brown gaze. He gasped at the provocative situation they had found themselves in; May lay under Edd whose body towered over hers.

His whole face turned red, a fiery heat engulfing his entire being. He had never been that embarrassed in his life, and that was saying something considering there were many embarrassing instances he had found himself in!

"Oh my!" he exclaimed, uncomfortably as he pushed himself off of her. "I-I'm truly sorry about that predicament, May. I don't know what happened!"

There was silence as May sat up, blinking as if she hadn't processed what had happened. "Uh, it's fine, Double D. I just...I'm sorry." She looked down at her lap that was covered by her red shorts. "It was my fault. I just wanted to tell you that you still had orange juice on your chin."

"O-oh," he stammered, not sure how to respond to that. His chin did still feel slightly gluey; he looked down at his hands to see that he had been clutching the tissue so hard that it was now ripped and unusable. Still, to give her some sort of relief, and himself too, so that he could leave, he dabbed at his chin. "Is my chin relieved of sticky filth, now?"

May's eyes brightened, the buck-teeth reappearing as she flashed a goofy smile up at him. "Yup, it's all clean now..." she trailed off as her eyes looked over his head. Edd tilted his head.

"May? Are you alright? You look, rather...pale?"

She gulped audibly, pointing a shaky finger at him. "Your….your…"

"My?" he asked, warily, observing her with squinted eyes.

"Your hat!" she squeaked, jaw unhinged as she stared blatantly at his head. Edd blanched, almost feeling the white in his skin as the blood drained from him. His eyes were wide as saucers now, he knew, as his shaky hands went atop his head. To his despair, May was right. He screamed as his beanie was no longer on his head, his hands, instead, touching the hair he despised since he was a child.

"Look away, look away!" he exclaimed frantically as his eyes darted around to find the black headwear that he had grown attached to. It was that item that gave him the confidence he needed to go out in public. Without it, he would be a puddle of embarrassment, and that was something he wanted to avoid, forever.

"I'm not looking, I'm not looking!" May yelled back, covering her eyes. Using his arms as a shield, his panicked eyes finally found the beanie at her feet, and he quickly grabbed it, shoving it back onto his head.

He let out a relieved sigh but his shoulders became tense when he realised May had seen everything. Edd gulped and trembled as he shakily walked closer to her.

"Y-You can look, now," he said, voice higher than usual. He cleared his throat, fumbling with his fingers as May uncovered her eyes. She looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing.

"Double D, your ha—"

"Let's not talk about that, shall we?" he butt in, forcing a wobbly smile. Then, with desperation in his tone, he fell onto his knees with his hands clasped together, eyes welling up with tears. "Oh, dear May, please do not tell anyone of what you witnessed today! This has to remain a secret, or I'll be doomed to a life of mockery!" he cried.

May nearly scuffled back at the sight of Edd's desperation and the tears in his eyes. She nodded stiffly, head jerking up and down. "Don't worry, Double D. I can keep a secret," she said with a dopey smile.

Edd blinked at her, his throat going dry. _Good lord, I'm doomed, _he thought.

* * *

"Geez, where were you?" Eddy asked, eyebrows furrowed as he looked Edd up and down. The latter was quivering as he walked back, looking behind his shoulder incase the Kankers were following him to laugh at him.

May was acting strangely, but more pressing concerns were at hand: she had seen what was under his beanie. No one but Ed and Eddy knew and that in itself was an unwanted situation!

He gulped. "E-Eddy, can I share with you something?"

"Not now, Sockhead. Gotta build that blimp again, remember?" he said, blowing a whistle. They were in front of Edd's garage that they had somehow managed to open; Edd would question that later as there were other important matters that needed addressing.

He watched helplessly as Ed stood in front of Eddy, a hand placed against his forehead, displaying a salute.

"Soldier Ed ready for duty, Eddy!"

Eddy's lips set in a thin line. "You're not a soldier, monobrow. Just get the stuff that we need from the garage so that Double D can build the stupid blimp in time!"

"We're making that shiny balloon thing again?!"

"For the hundredth time, yes! Now go!" Eddy yelled in frustration.

"Eddy—" Edd tried to butt in, face a sickly white, his voice hoarse. He needed to tell someone of the predicament that had happened. His best friends could surely help him in his time of need. "I have something important to share."

Eddy dismissed him with a flick of his hand. "Not now, Double D! Can't ya see we're busy gettin' everything ready?"

"Perhaps we can start building the blimp _after_ I share with you the crucial information? I'm afraid my life is on the line here," Edd said, gravely.

At his face, Eddy stopped grinning. It was replaced by a frown as he stepped closer to his lanky friend. He leaned in close to peer into his eyes.

He then backed away, eyes narrowed. "What's with you?" he asked, disgruntled. Eddy sounded like he didn't care, as if Edd's situation was just a burden. But, he was used to this behaviour of his. He knew deep down that Eddy did care.

"You see, when you chucked me into the air," At his snicker, Edd crossed his arms, "which, might I add, was very immature of you—I landed in front of the Kankers."

A flash of fear shot through Eddy's eyes, but his whole body relaxed. He swallowed and let out a jumpy, high-pitched laugh. "Uh, so then what happened?" He craned his neck over Edd's shoulder to look behind him, eyes darting every which way. "Did they follow you here or somethin'?"

"No, fortunately, they have not but let me tell you this: I was met with a very _polite_ May! The other sisters were nowhere to be found, and she was..._welcoming_, Eddy," Edd detailed, growing warier as the words left his lips. It didn't feel real until he actually heard himself say it out loud. Eddy looked a bit creeped out now, as well.

"This is the Kankers we're talkin' about, Sockhead. There's no such thing as politeness with them," he said, looking Edd up and down as if he was now suspicious of him, too.

Edd spluttered. "Well, I am very well aware of that, Eddy." He sighed, fumbling with his fingers before plopping onto the floor. "But, I am afraid something more grave has befallen me."

Eddy narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms just as Ed sauntered over with a bucket and mouldy sandwiches. Eddy glanced at him, then did a double-take. He groaned as he slapped his forehead.

"Ed, you idiot, I didn't say sandwiches!"

"You said stuff, Eddy, and stuff means gravy sandwiches!" Ed said merrily, chowing down on many sandwiches at once. Eddy nearly spewed at the sight of gravy dripping down his chin but held it in. Shaking his head, he looked down at their desperate friend on the floor, wallowing.

Ed seemed to have noticed him then, too. "Double D!" he said with his mouth full. "You look sad; do you want a big, cuddly hug?"

Edd let his head lull into his chest, nodding. "That is very sweet of you, Ed. It would appear that a hug is the remedy I need for this." Ed threw himself at Edd, choking the skinny boy in his hold.

Eddy rolled his eyes. "You're such a drama queen! Just spit it out, will ya? What happened?" he demanded, tapping his foot impatiently.

"ED!" he gargled, struggling in Ed's hulk-like hold. "Can't...breathe!"

Eddy snickered slightly. "Hey, numbskull! Let go of Double D, you're gonna choke him to death!"

At that, Ed loosened his grip. "My bad, Double D." He slapped Edd's back a couple of times, and he was sure he could hear the bones in his back squeaking in pain. "There you go, all better."

"Why thank you, Ed." Edd struggled to get out through the pain that his body was now in. He got up on shaky legs, dusting his clothes. With an exhalation, he continued reluctantly. "I...My..." He sighed. "It appears that May has found out what is...under my hat, gentlemen."

He waited with bated breath for his friends' reaction; the tall boy and the short boy stood side by side, staring at Edd with blank faces before Eddy burst out in loud, obnoxious laughter. Tears sprang out of his eyes, and that was all the encouragement Ed needed to join.

"I don't know why we're laughing, Eddy!" Ed said as he continued laughing with his mouth wide open. Edd stared at them both with a blank expression, his shoulders drooping.

"Ha-ha," he mocked, rolling his eyes heavenward. "I'm glad you're able to find humour in such a difficult situation. Go ahead, laugh it up."

"Oh, come on, Double D!" Eddy spluttered, holding his stomach with both his arms as he leaned on Ed for support. "You can't expect us not to laugh at that! You're tellin' us that that buck-toothed hill billy managed to find out what's under that sock of yours!"

"And that is amusing, how? Care to enlighten me, Eddy?"

The three-haired boy wiped a stray tear away from his eyes and straightened up. "Ya see Sockhead, it's amusing 'cos you actually think she's gonna be a threat." He scoffed. "She ain't gonna tell nobody."

"She's a little empty in that old box of hers," Ed agreed, knocking on his head. Eddy furrowed his eyebrows as he shot a sceptical look at the boy beside him.

Edd brightened up at this, nearly colliding his head against Eddy's as he shot up like a spring. His eyes were wide with hope. "You really think so, Eddy?"

"Well, duh. May's the dumbest outta her sisters; she's probably already forgotten or somethin' so what's she gonna do?" he said, snickering. "Just relax, Sockhead, geez!"

His words gave some sort of relief to Edd who let out a small whoosh of air. It was as if he was a balloon; as soon as the breath was released, the butterflies in his stomach stopped fluttering.

"You're right, Eddy. I should stop being so paranoid and focus on the task at hand."

Eddy jerked at this, turning to him with a grin. "You mean the scam?!"

He shot a bright smile at him. "Yes, precisely." As he walked in the direction of his garage, a, regrettably familiar, screeching voice echoed from behind him. It was as if his nightmares had come true; just when his guard was down, it came out from hiding. Like his friends, he froze mid-step, shoulders raised up to their chin, tense with fear.

"Hiya, boys!"

_Oh dear._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

They were doomed. They were going to be kissed and violated in ways boys their age should never be. Alas, he knew it was the end, since their timing was scarily accurate. They had to have known what was under his hat and they would never let him hear the end of it. It would only be a matter of time before the cul-de-sac kids found out, too. If that was the case, he had to leave the neighbourhood. He couldn't be there anymore. It was the only way!

"Run away!" Eddy screamed as his feet charged up, ready to speed away. Just as he took a step in the opposite direction, he was tugged back harshly on the collar by Lee who stood there with a sly grin, the other hand on her hip.

"And where do ya think you're goin', mister?" she asked, her deep, almost manly voice filling their ears.

"No!" he squeaked out, looking at Ed, who idly stood against the garage door, in a panic. "Help me, you dolt!"

Meanwhile, Edd was being pursued by a certain blue-hair girl he revolted.

"Hiya, boyfriend," Marie purred, sauntering up to the trembling Edd boy. "Are ya happy to see me?"

"H-H-Hello, Marie," he said shakily, trying to lean away from her hot breath. "How—how are you?"

"Spare me the small talk, Double D. How about you let me give you a big old smooch, instead?" she asked, giggling. Edd leaned back as much as his body would allow, his head almost touching the floor as he scuffled back, terrified.

He cowered behind Ed who blinked at the scene before him. "No mushy yucky girl germs for Ed?" he asked, tilting his head. Edd furrowed his eyebrows at this and poked his head out a little; he was right. The only ones present were Marie and Lee. May was nowhere to be found.

_Odd,_ he thought. He wasn't able to think too much of it as Marie grabbed his face, squishing his cheeks together as she dragged him over to her again. A fearful squeak escaped through his lips.

"Ed, help!" His voice came out muffled and his eyes quickly glanced over to Eddy who was already feeling the wrath of Lee's amorous affections. He was trying to crawl away from under her as she placed monster kisses all over his face. If Edd wasn't busy trying, and failing, to get away from Marie, he would have tried to help.

"Ed!" he tried yelling again. Just as that word fell from his lips, Marie's suddenly red-painted lips fell on his face, the warm sensation sending cold shivers down his spine. He tried not to cry out at the unfairness of it all and instead struggled, however, her hold was much too strong for his weaker body.

"Oh, oh, coming, guys!" Ed exclaimed, finally out of his stupor. He grabbed him and Eddy by the clothes before making off with them.

"Hey, bring our boyfriends back!"

"Ugh, May's boyfriend is so lame."

Once they were as far away from them as possible, Ed dropped Edd and Eddy down in the middle of the woods; the place where they had once caught the Urban Rangers having a camp-out. With just the three of them without any of the furniture, the grassy area looked more daunting than it did before. Though they had plenty of space, looking around, they were closed off by trees surrounding them in a circle, secured like fences. They could still see the creek running to their far left, which meant that the trailer park was close by. Edd swore he could hear nearby snickering and purring but tried to shake it off.

"Close call, huh, guys?" Ed said, plopping down onto the ground.

Eddy rubbed his face wildly to get rid of lipstick stains before observing Ed. "How come you weren't smooched like the rest of us? That ain't fair," he grumbled, lips pressed tightly together.

Edd pushed himself up off the ground and voiced out his concerns of this matter, too. "I'll have to agree with you there, Eddy. I'm surprised May didn't show."

"Yeah, she's practically _in love_ with monobrow over here," Eddy spat, his lips curled as he dusted himself off. He then looked around before throwing his hands up. "And why'd you bring us to the woods?!"

"Oh come now, Eddy, Ed was only trying to help," Edd offered, defending Ed whose whole body bent forward in despair. Eddy spun on him this time, eyes unblinking as a scowl framed his face.

"Don't think you're off the hook either, mister lets-ruin-everything," he spat. Edd's frown came off as more of a pout and he turned slightly pale, a harried look on his face. A pang of guilt hit him in the chest, squeezing tightly. It certainly felt as if everything that had happened was his fault.

"I-I'm sorry, Eddy, I didn't think—"

"Well that's the problem, ain't it?! You didn't think and 'cos of your mistake, we're payin' for it! You led the stupid Kankers right to us."

Ed butt in, a big frown painted on his lips. "Don't fight guys, please! The yucky Kankers will hear us!"

Now, Edd was a little riled up. May telling the Kankers was something he couldn't control—besides begging, what else was he to do? Surely that wasn't his fault.

"Well, as I recall, it was _your_ wise decision to catapult me through the air. Perhaps things wouldn't have become this drastic had you not done what I told you not to!" he snapped back, defiantly.

"Guys!" Ed whined helplessly, flailing his arms around to catch their attention.

"Yeah, well, I didn't see you puttin' up much of a fight, Sockhead!"

"Why you—did you not hear me when I practically begged you to let me go, Eddy!?"

"Begging isn't fighting!"

"Oh, really?"

"Really!"

Their expressions were pinched and inches apart, as if they were about to face off any second. Edd's posture was rigid, his blood bubbling up inside him; the 'darker' side of him only ever came out rarely and Eddy sure was testing his patience. His nostrils flared, white-hot fury rising from his toes all the way to his head. Just when he was about to say something else, Ed jumped in the middle, pushing them apart.

"Shhh! Kankers!"

Eddy turned on his heel as quick as lightning then, mouth stretched down to his chin and eyes as big as a basketball. "Where?!" He hid behind Ed, before sticking his head out to look around. "I don't see them anywhere, Ed, where are they?"

"They'll be here soon!"

"What?!" Eddy moved away and grabbed his collar to bring him down to his level so he could slap him. "You don't scream 'Kankers' when they're not even here, you idiot. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Whoops, sorry, Eddy."

"Gentlemen, focus!" Edd exclaimed.

"On what?"

Edd rubbed his eyebrows as if to ward off a headache. He didn't know what to think; yes, he knew he could never trust a Kanker but he had expected her to keep this one. What was under his beanie was a big deal to him. It was something no one could ever find out about. Just the thought of the secret coming out and having the Kankers know about it caused what little hair he had on his body to stand up in resistance. His skinny arms trembled as they hugged his small frame.

"Oh, dear. Oh dear, oh dear, what am I to do?" he mumbled to himself, his high voice turning higher in pitch.

"What now?"

"Should we help him, Eddy?"

"You tell me, monobrow."

Edd suddenly swivelled around on his heels so fast he startled his two friends standing behind him. "What's the best way we can fix this mess?"

Ed scratched his head, blinking at Edd with empty eyes. Eddy, on the other hand, shrugged. "Ain't you the smart one? Why don't you just come up with a solution?"

"I'm afraid that's not so simple." His forehead creased and he clasped his hands together, despairingly. "Not this time, fellows."

Eddy rolled his eyes, raising his arms and placing them behind his head. He bent his body side to side as if the situation wasn't a bother to him, at all. Edd stared, mouth slightly ajar.

"How are you not taking this seriously, Eddy?"

"Why should I? The whole beanie secret thing has gotta do with you, not me and Ed."

"Ed and I," Edd quickly corrected before continuing, "and this 'beanie secret thing' is just as much your business as it is mine. Considering what just occurred moments ago Eddy, despite it being _my_ secret, the Kankers surely don't look like they'll leave you alone, either."

This seemed to get his attention and his arms flopped beside his body, limply. He tugged on his collar, uncomfortably. "Uh, then let's put our heads together and start thinkin', boys!"

Edd smiled brightly at this. "Yes, lets!"

"Thinking is painful," Ed said, through a mouthful of mouldy cheese. Edd and Eddy shared a glance of repugnance before the latter turned away, gagging.

"Alright, Ed," he struggled to say, shuddering, "just...leave it to us."

* * *

"This is your bright plan, Eddy!?" Edd hissed, his pupils huge as he looked at Eddy for an answer. They were currently standing in front of the Kanker sisters trailer, with legs quivering and faces pale.

"Apologise or something—I don't know! Just do anything to keep 'em quiet so that they don't bother us no more," Eddy rushed out without taking a breath. As he shoved Edd, he quickly ran towards Ed who hid behind another, mostly abandoned, trailer a few feet away.

"Take one for the team, Double D!"

Edd turned to his other best friend, lips quivering uncontrollably but Ed only shrugged. "Good luck!"

"Ed, not you too!" Edd placed his hand against his forehead and closed his eyes. Turning around, he took deep breaths in and out. "Don't rely on them Eddward, calm down. Think happy thoughts: Baby Blue Gym Sock flowers, arthropods, a nice hot shower." It worked; his body was definitely less stiff than it was a second ago. However, upon opening his eyes and making contact with the door, he was as solid as a statue.

"Knock on the door, Double D!" He heard Eddy say from behind him, voice small and strangled.

Edd inched closer to the door, his throat becoming drier the closer he got. _Oh my, this is truly happening,_ he thought to himself as he knocked, feeling the cold material rest against his clammy skin. As if they were expecting him, the door opened to display a blue-haired girl with yellow teeth, who stood beside the intimidating ginger girl. Edd's throat felt like sandpaper as he tried to swallow down the burning lump in his throat.

"Oh, look it's your boyfriend, Marie," Lee said, grinning so widely it looked like her cheeks were about to split in half. Marie giggled, the sound ludicrously loud and shrill causing his eardrums to quiver.

"Heya, Double D! Come back for more?" she asked, voice honeyed. She looked at him as if he was a piece of meat that she couldn't wait to devour. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

"H-Hi, Marie, I was hoping I'd—"

"Did ya hear that? The smart one was hoping to talk to us."

"He's _my_ boyfriend, Lee!"

As they fought, Edd tried to step back slyly so that he could get away. But, harsh whispering from behind him made him stop and look over his shoulder. Eddy was gesturing at him to continue talking and the boy sighed.

_You can do this Eddward. Why, it's just a little bit of conversation, is all, _he thought, trying to calm himself down. With hands clenched tightly beside him and shoulders forcibly straightened, he looked the girls dead in the eye.

"I would like to have a chat with you ladies if you don't mind."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Marie and Lee both stared at the hatted-boy, nothing but silence falling upon them. When Edd opened his mouth, albeit reluctantly, the girls began to cackle as if he had made the funniest joke in the universe. He could only glance around awkwardly, head-turning, looking for answers. When they didn't explain why they were laughing, he just waited with a wilting posture.

Lee was the first one to regain her composure. "So? You gonna say somethin' or just stand there like a rock?"

Edd jerked back into reality at this and cleared his throat, voice modulated as he spoke. "May I speak to _all_ of you?" He hoped the emphasis would alert May if she happened to be inside. He tried to peer inside by looking over their shoulders, but Marie came into full-view defensively, causing him to stagger backwards.

"Why don't you just tell us here? I'll pass on the message," she said with a half-smile, leaning into him. Edd let out a strangled laugh, shooting them a rictus grin as beads of sweat started to form on his face.

"W-well, you see, it's imperative that all three of you girls are here."

"May can't come to the door right now," Lee said firmly, hands on her hips. "Whaddya really want?"

"Maybe he just needs a kiss or somethin'," Marie offered, her eyebrows pulled together as her eyes went down the length of his body. Instinctively, he hugged himself to shield himself from her wandering passionate gaze.

"A c-civil conversation with no k-kissing, please," he stuttered out. "I came here to politely ask you to not disclose what you know to anyone. I—"

While he rambled on, words slightly incomprehensible, Marie and Lee shot each other a look.

"You know what he's talkin' about?"

"Not a clue," the oldest Kanker said, weight shifting from one leg to another. "You were right, Marie; kissin' him might fix him."

"Told ya," the blue-haired girl said with a loud chuckle. Before Edd could even finish his sentence and comprehend the situation, he was shoved to the ground harshly. He was met with the hard concrete and something weighty pushing down on his chest. A small shriek got trapped in his throat as Marie's lips approached his face in slow-motion. He tried to struggle, but the weight doubled as another pair of lips came into view.

"Pucker up, lover-boy!" Lee yelled in delight.

"Please! All I ask of you is to not reveal my secret! I beg of you!" he screamed desperately from under them, frantically turning his head left and right so they wouldn't be able to kiss him.

Lee pulled back. "Wait, what 'secret' are ya talkin' about?"

"Yeah," Marie said, stepping back and looking suddenly interested. "We don't know of any secret." As they had given him sufficient room, he stood up on shaky legs and dusted himself off. Just when he took a step back, Lee and Marie quickly wrapped their arms around his body, to prevent him from escaping.

"So." Marie leaned in, her face only a few inches away from his. She was so close that he could feel her hot breath on his sensitive skin. The corner of her mouth quirked up as her eyes trailed his facial features. "Is it somethin' we should know about, handsome?"

"No!" Edd unintentionally yelled out, shrill. He was in an awkward position now; his head was rocked back, trying to lean away from her attacking lips as he spoke. "N-no, I assure you, it's of no import—"

"What are you guys doing?!"

Another voice butted in, causing all three of them to freeze. It did, however, allow his figure to relax somewhat and his eyes gravitated towards the person whose voice rang out. May stood there in the doorway, eyes wide and mouth agape as she took in what happened. Edd swallowed, hoping she wouldn't join in with the humiliation that was taking place.

Marie snickered. "What does it look like, May? Are you stupid or what?"

The younger sister's face turned rose red, resembling the colour of her shorts. As Lee and Marie cackled gaily at her reaction, Edd found himself cringing despite himself.

"S-Shut up Marie," she shot, staggering a little. She crossed her arms, jutting her chin out. "We were having a sisterly conversation and you tell me you'll be back in a jiffy but you take hours!"

"It's only been a couple of minutes, May," Lee stated, letting go of Edd to cross her arms as well. Except her stance, with her feet apart, certainly came off as more intimidating than May's. As if the youngest Kanker had the same thought, she deflated and let her hands hang limply beside her body.

"So?" she shot back, voice much weaker. "I wanted to talk to youse about something important."

"Ugh, what do you want?" Marie groaned, her upper lip curling in disdain. She kept a tight hold of Edd, and it only seemed to tighten the more he struggled. So, he kept quiet and just watched the interaction.

"I just told you. I wanna…talk to you both." May bit down on her lip, scratching at her cheek awkwardly.

"Talk?" Marie sniggered, sadistically. The smile on her face faded as her earthy brown eyes narrowed. "What you wanna talk about isn't even important, stupid."

Edd recoiled slightly at this; his gaze landed between the girl beside him and the one standing in the doorway. Though he didn't necessarily like the Kanker sisters, he never realised May was teased like this, especially by her sisters. He had always thought they were on good terms, despite the occasional sibling tiffs, and found common ground with bullying the Eds.

_Behind every closed door, there is a story, I suppose,_ he thought.

"It _is_ important, Marie!" May cried, face turning slightly pink. "I wanted you both to know how I feel."

"I didn't think you even had feelings."

"Oi shut up, Marie," Lee quipped causing the blue-haired girl to roll her eyes. Edd observed Lee and how, though her eyes were covered by her thick orange mane, it felt as if she was glaring at the middle sister.

May looked as if she was about to burst and Edd bit down on his bottom lip, hoping he wouldn't be caught up in the middle of a Kanker fight.

"I just really need to talk to you guys," May said, with a pout. Lee rubbed her forehead, turning her head in Edd's direction before turning away.

"Alright, f—"

"Just buzz off, May!" Marie shot. This made the blonde quiver in her shoes. Her hands curled into fists, and she stomped up to her older sister. She shoved her off of Edd who fell to the ground in a heap. A soft breathy 'oof' came out of his mouth as the hard impact caused pain to shoot up his backside. He was hurt but luckily, the sisters were paying too much attention to each other to care.

"Why you—"

"I said I just wanna talk!"

"Girls, will ya stop fightin'!?"

Lee tried to pull apart the girls that looked like they were about to have a tumble right then and there. He turned his head over his shoulder subtly but met with only empty trailers and dust. His eyes bulged out, and his shoulders tensed up further; his friends had ditched him! More specifically Eddy who possibly dragged poor unwilling Ed along with him. Edd tried to inch back by using his hands to drag his body as silently as he could but all of a sudden, he was lifted up by the waist and squeezed as if he was an orange.

Marie's downturned mouth soon turned into a coy smile. "Look, you nearly chased my Oven Mitt away!" she exclaimed with a loud cackle.

May crossed her arms. "No one cares, Marie!"

"Well, I do!"

May took a step forward but then stopped and nodded to herself. He couldn't help but notice that there was a tightness to that action that made Edd feel as if she was withholding from saying something. "Fine." Then in a sudden burst, as if she couldn't help it, said, "But, Double D needs to know just how much of a bully you are!"

Edd choked at Marie's hold that seemed to get tighter, his eyes about to pop out of his head. He tried to speak up, though his voice came out more stifled than he had imagined. "Uh, Marie, p-pardon me bu—"

"What's your problem!?" Marie yelled at her younger sister, ignoring the boy for once. She dropped him down like he was a sack of potatoes, and he groaned in pain for the billionth time that day. His face met with the cold, dirty floor while his legs stood up in the air at an awkward angle. He was sure he was going to have bruises all over his body. "It's not my fault that you're such a cry baby," he heard Marie continue. "We only tolerate you because we feel bad that you're the outcast of the family. You don't really think we care, do you?"

"_Marie_," Lee warned, staring her down.

Edd even stopped rubbing his body to pay attention. The silence was eating up at all of them, but he couldn't help but feel hit the most, for some odd reason. Yes, to see a Kanker in such an embarrassing situation should feel comforting but in fact, it was quite the opposite.

As May stammered helplessly, face slightly pale, Edd almost felt her shame. She glanced about as if for an exit or an escape. Before he knew it, May ran away with her head down. The three of them watched her run through the woods, a blur of yellow filling his vision before it disappeared. Edd took a glimpse at Marie and Lee, hoping they wouldn't accuse him of being the cause of making May upset. Knowing them, they would very happily do so.

He rapidly blinked as he waited for one of them to say something. He was too much in pain to move at that point, so stayed seated where he was.

"You went too far, Marie," Lee finally spoke up with a grumble.

Marie only shrugged uncaringly, turning away. "Oh, who cares. Like I said, May's just a cry-baby! It's not like I'm wrong." Her one-eyed gaze met with the boy that was on the ground. Before Lee could speak up further, she jumped on Edd like a tiger and began smooching him.

"N-No, please, spare me!"

However, as always, his screams and cries fell on deaf ears. And, despite being defiled in a way a twelve-year-old boy should not be succumbed to, he couldn't help but wonder about the youngest blonde girl. It wasn't always he saw the three of them fight in front of him. He tried to shake his head away from such thoughts. Edd was a polite young boy, but frankly, it wasn't his business, and he wasn't going to get involved in Kanker business.

It was _much_ too risky.

Somehow he was spared from their wrath and he managed to get away from them, running as fast as he could on his short, weak legs. He could hear their cackles ringing out from behind him but he paid them no attention. Like always, his arms were bent at the elbows and in front of his chest. It had been the way he ran since he was a child in an attempt to make him go faster. Despite it not working at all, he had grown accustomed to the style in which he ran.

Casting the area darting glances, he stopped running once he declared that there was no one following him. He sighed as he looked down at himself; his favourite shirt was stretched, his shorts were soiled, and his socks were absolutely filthy with dust all over.

_Any washing will have to wait until I get home to mother and father,_ he thought, trying to rub off the lipstick stains off of his face before he got there. Edd didn't want to have to explain that awkward situation to his parents. As he thought back to that, he couldn't help but slouch. He didn't even get the chance to explain himself, apologise and beg the sisters to keep his secret.

As the complicated cogs in his brain whirred, he stopped in his tracks. _Perhaps I should pay them a short visit tomorrow?_ He bit down on his lip at the idea and shook his head frantically. He didn't think he could handle another round of the Kankers usual amorous onslaught. So, a chat would have to wait and until then, he just hoped they wouldn't tell anyone else. The thought brought a feeling of nausea as his stomach dropped.

Shaking his head, he tried to think of other matters. More importantly, his best friends. They had left him alone in the lion's den, so to speak, and expected him to come out of it alive. Edd wanted nothing more than to give them a piece of his mind.

_That will have to wait, too, until morning, I suppose, _he thought as his gaze turned upwards. He took in the sunset; the sun dipped below the horizon, and vibrant hues of red mixed with crimsons, purples and oranges painted the sky. The sight lifted his spirits somewhat, his eyes twinkling and lips curving up into a gleaming grin. Just as he turned and passed the park, he heard sniffling.

He froze at this; considering it was getting dark, he hadn't expected anyone to be at the park so late. Edd glanced at the pavement that led to the cul-de-sac longingly, but the gentlemanly part of him encouraged him to turn and investigate whose sniffling it was.

As he turned away in the direction of the park and walked closer, he could make out the figure of a familiar blonde girl sitting on the swings. Upon closer inspection, his brows raised and he froze in his spot. Of course, it was always him who was placed in uncomfortable positions such as this.

_Curse my bad luck,_ he thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** _Sorry this is a short chapter with nothing significant happening. I'm trying to pace myself and not jumping headfirst into romance or anything. I like my drama ;)_

_Anyway, this is unedited but I hope ya'll enjoy it anyway._

* * *

**Chapter 5: **

_May?_ He thought, instantly regretting his decision to analyse the source of the sniffles. There she sat, chin dipped to the chest, her hair hiding her face. Her red sneakers drew circles on the bark as she sat by herself. Edd was at a loss for what to do; on the one hand, he could turn and run away or even rapidly walk away if he was quiet, however, the thought didn't sit well with him.

She appeared upset, and none of her sisters was willing to listen. It was only kind if he lent an ear as, Kanker or not, she deserved to be heard, too. In addition to that, she didn't appear to be so menacing when she was by herself. His reasonings weren't too convincing as he trembled in his spot.

_Why, oh, why me? _He scolded himself as he pushed himself to slowly inch closer, rubbing his arms as he did so. "Oh, how I wish I wasn't so polite," he muttered to himself. Before he knew it, he found himself shakily seated on the vacant swing next to her. He could feel every bone in his body stiffen as she turned her head.

"Double D?" she asked, voice thick and coming out choked. He swallowed and mustered up the courage to turn to her. He forced a wobbly smile.

"Are—are you alright, May?"

"What do you want?" she snorted.

"I-I...wanted to see if you were doing alright—"

"Go away!"

_Oh, thank heavens, _he thought, eyes going up, looking heavenward and trying not to let the slow smile show. "If that's what you pr—"

"Wait!" Her exclamation caused him to let out a heavy sigh and freeze mid-turn. He watched as she observed him carefully. She looked unsure if she could confide in him. But, though his face was in-genuine, something in his eyes must have given some sort of reassurance for her as she sniffled and began to speak. "It's just...we had a fight this morning. We always fight, ya know, but after today, I'm starting to understand that I'm not really liked in this family."

Edd only sat there and listened politely. There wasn't much else he could say or do without sounding condescending. He nodded for her to continue when she glanced up at him through her eyelashes, a little timid.

"I'm an outcast, Double D." She then used her hands to wildly gesture every which way as she continued. "I wanna watch TV and sleep in and be with my boyfriend, but all Marie and Lee wanna do is chase you guys." She sulked, her shoulders hunching inwards even further. Edd furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head.

_Boyfriend? _He thought. _I never knew—oh...she must mean Ed._

Once again, he nodded thoughtfully and placed his clasped hands in his lap. "I see," he mused softly, trying not to make May upset and ruin her fantasy. It was clear as day that Ed disliked anything to do with the Kankers, but Edd didn't want to be rude. He wasn't about to be the bearer of bad news.

"Marie hates me the most, and it's sad 'cos even my mom treats me differently." Her bottom lip stuck out, hiding the buck teeth that everyone associated her with. "I'm like—like a _pet_ in my house; the sibling that gets everything leftover. It just feels like they don't even see me as part of the family anymore."

Edd's eyes widened as May's eyes welled up with tears. He had never witnessed a girl crying, let alone May. The Kankers were strong, mean girls in his eyes, and this was a scene he never had in a million years imagined beholding.

"Oh my," he muttered, his eyes darting around awkwardly. He spoke carefully, making sure not to make any mistakes with his sentence as to not get beaten up. He had to treat this as if he was dealing with something fragile, like glass or a baby.

"Uh—dear May, p-please don't cry! I'm sure you're simply overreacting." He winced at his wording but kept confident. He didn't want to waver, surely not then when she was watching him with big watery brown eyes.

"Y-You really think so, Double D?" she asked, her voice coming out slightly whiny. Edd simply shot her a forced smile and nodded stiffly.

"Why, yes. They're your family, and of course, you'll have your occasional disagreements, but that doesn't mean there is no love at all. Being the youngest out of three children must also bring out some of those insecurities, but that is quite normal, I assure you. I mean, I'm an only child, but I still have my doubts about whether I am as loved as I believe. However, when I'm around my parents, and they shower me with affection, those doubts fade away. Surely there are times when your sisters show they dearly care for you, too."

May only stared at Edd with round saucers for eyes. Her mouth hung open, displaying her front two teeth that resembled that of a rabbit. He tore his eyes away from her surprisingly white teeth and to her dark eyes.

"D-Double D?" she whispered, as if in shock. Edd blinked; had he gone too far? He supposed he did speak too much. He reached up to scratch his cheek and let out a short laugh.

"O-Oh, I-I'm sorry, May, perhaps I've—"

"I think yer right." A bright grin, like a child's, framed her face. "That time they upset me by ruinin' my hair, they brought me big Ed just to make me happy!"

Edd tried to smile, but at the throwback to the time when Ed was kidnapped, it proved to be challenging. He couldn't find it within himself to smile for a Kanker when it involved the despair of one of his best friends. But, he hadn't realised it was because she was upset in any way.

_Just maintain a neutral expression, Eddward. You'll be able to leave soon enough,_ he thought, giving himself a pep talk. He still wasn't comfortable sitting near May Kanker. It was much too draining; his heart was pounding against his ribs so hard that he could hear it echoing in his head.

Seeing her smile at him was perturbing. He wasn't used to such an expression on May's face aimed at him. But, he held any fear-filled thoughts down and hoped it didn't show on his face. Her eyes trailed his face, the smile diminishing and replaced by a small frown.

"Double D?"

"Y-Yes, M-May?" he stammered out, and immediately squeezing his eyes shut. Oh, why had he gone and stuttered!? May tilted her head at him, questioningly.

"Yer acting all funny," she said, snorting. "You okay?" She peered into his eyes, her own squinting as she looked over him. Compared to Marie's, her gaze didn't seem quite so invasive; he didn't feel the need to conceal himself, though it was still uncomfortable. He wasn't used to such attention from girls.

The only girl that he wouldn't mind looking at him in such a way was Nazz. She was the beauty in the cul-de-sac but also off-limits. Everyone in the neighbourhood knew Kevin and Nazz would end up together, but that didn't stop anyone from yearning for her.

It didn't stop Edd, either, no matter how impolite that sounded. Their crushes, though just that, were too hard to get rid of. Emotions such as those were something that he would never be able to wrap his head around.

"Double D?" May's voice brought him back to reality, and he jerked in his seat. The creak of the swing caused him to turn his head. He was met with a curious but also worried May who leaned in close. Edd jerked back instinctively.

"Oh, sorry!" She moved back almost immediately, and the wrinkle between his eyebrows smoothed out at how...polite she was being. The May he knew was always brash and ill-behaving.

"Uh, May?" Her brown eyes met his blue-green ones instantly, causing him to choke on his saliva for a second. He cleared his throat. He had to stop imagining her pouncing on him and smooching him all over. "May I ask...why you're acting in such a way? You don't seem to be yourself?"

May blinked before her pink lips curved into a small grin. "It's been a looong time since I've talked to someone other than my sisters. And by talk, I mean a decent conversation! It feels...nice."

_Right,_ he thought. _It might only be a matter of time before she reverts back to her usual activities, though._

"I understand." Edd didn't know what else to say; he wanted to leave from that place as quickly as he could. Then, he was hit with an idea. Instead of talking to her sisters, perhaps he could confide in May to tell them to keep the secret. He wasn't so sure of speaking to May about the situation, considering how she was the one to reveal his secret in the first place. But, he supposed it was better than going himself and being placed in a disturbing situation.

"May—" His timid voice was cut off by the girl that he had just mentioned.

"I actually kept your secret, too, Double D. Can you believe it?" She shot him a toothy grin. "I'm usually not so good at keeping secrets, but something told me I should. I mean, I was mad at my sisters so I didn't feel like telling them, anyway but I'm glad I didn't. You're real nice."

Edd really didn't know what to say to _that_. He hadn't expected that response at all. "I-I—wait, you—they don't...know?"

May shook her head, hair resembling beams of light from the sun framing her face. "Nope. You don't need to worry!" she said with a snort-like laugh. Thinking back onto what had happened, he was able to connect the dots reasonably quickly. The sisters hadn't understood a word he had said. It could only mean that May was right.

He didn't know whether to laugh along with her or just shoot her a polite smile—the relief he felt at that news was tremendous. It was as if a heavy weight placed on his chest was finally removed and he could roam about freely.

"I really should thank you, May. Had you told, there is no telling to what I would do." May only shrugged, and he let his shoulders cave inwards as he let out a heavy breath through his lips.

"Will you...ever tell anyone what's under your beanie?"

Edd stared down at his lap. He wiped his sweaty hands on his shorts, not quite sure how to answer her curious yet innocent question. "I'm not sure. Perhaps not ever. This is an encumbrance I have to carry."

"It's not so bad, you know," May offered, softly. Her mouth was pulled down into a heavy frown, and her eyebrows were pinched together. This didn't make any sense to him. He always envisioned May to be like Ed—not very bright and goofy. And though he had to admit that she was both, today reminded him of that unusual Valentines day when she spouted out Chemistry facts. Both that day and today brought chills down his spine that he couldn't explain. He had never thought there was a side like that to May.

Suddenly self-conscious, he pulled down the sides of his beanie to keep it hidden from her watchful eyes. "You don't...regard it as repulsive?"

The corners of her lips quirked up into a soft, reassuring smile. She shook her head, furiously like a little kid. "Of course not! I mean, it was strange at first, but I don't think it's bad. It looks cool on you, Double D!"

At that, a strange heat filled his cheeks, and he cleared his throat. He had never been called _cool_ by a girl before. It was an odd feeling but one that he welcomed despite it coming from a Kanker.

"C-Cool?" he stammered out, shuffling his feet and playing with the bark by his feet. He wondered if Nazz would think the same of him and another bout of heat hit him, this time much harder than before. He could feel it spread throughout his chest and into the roots of his hair.

"Yeah, it's not as bad as ya think. Can...Can I ask what happened?"

Edd stiffened at that. He wasn't yet comfortable in confiding about the reason as to _how_, to anyone. "Perhaps that shall be a conversation for another time, May."

That was a little fib on his part. He didn't want to disclose his secret to a Kanker, not in a million years. Edd hadn't even thought to share that information with his friends, let alone a stranger. As if May realised it was such a touchy subject, she shifted in her seat. "Well, I don't think you should be hiding it. People won't make fun of you!"

Edd deflated, his eyes darting away, mumbling to himself. "Unfortunately, that won't be the case."

"Hmm?"

He spoke up, louder this time. "I don't think that's..." He glanced at the girl, hoping she wouldn't pummel him for saying such a thing. "...such a good idea. As I see it, keeping this hidden is the only solution I have."

May turned away, looking as if she was gathering her thoughts, eyebrows squished together. Then, she looked up at Edd. The sudden focus of her gaze startled him, slightly.

"Don't Eddy and Ed know?" She tilted her head to the side while pursing her lips.

"Well, yes, but it was purely by chance. Unwilling on both ends, you see."

"But...they don't see you any differently, right?"

"T-they don't, but you see, the situation isn't alike as we've been acquainted since we were very young. No one else is quite that accepting, I'm afraid."

May's shoulders slumped slightly, and her chin tilted down before a frown took over. "Oh." After a pause, she opened her mouth. "But—"

"Not to worry!" Edd cut her off in a rush, trying to change the subject. "Masking this from the sight of others is what I prefer."

Silence enveloped the two, but neither were paying attention to the other. Rather, Edd was busy calming his frightened heart down and letting his whole body relax in ways that it wasn't before. He had succeeded in calming May, but now, he had to make sure that she wouldn't tell anyone his secret, unintentionally.

"May." His voice was wobbly, but he tried to keep a straight, stern face. "Talking to you has been...eventful, but please, I beg of you, keep this matter concealed. This can't be disclosed to anyone; the neighbourhood kids will never understand nor will your sisters. I'll—I'll do anything for you to keep quiet for..." He tried to search for the right word before it came to him: "forever."

She shifted in her swing, her hands clutching the swing chain, tightly. "You'll do _anything?"_ she asked, head leaning forward.

"Y-Yes," he stuttered, clearing his throat at how uncertain and squeaky it came out. He wasn't sure what May was planning, but it certainly wouldn't be anything pleasant. May's eyes brightened at his response, her mouth curving into a broad grin.

"Then, yer can count on me, Double D!"

Unbeknownst to either of them at the time, a certain someone was watching their interaction from behind a bush with their eyes narrowed and lips twisted into a scowl.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

By he'd do anything, this hadn't been what Edd had in mind. He quickly turned his head left and right, making sure he was alone before he frantically got out the stack of homework that he had done for May, piled one on top of the other. The thick heap was so tremendously large that his legs were starting to give way as he balanced the papers on his skinny arms as if he was in a circus act.

Due to it being tall as well, he hadn't a clue in which direction he was headed in; Edd needed to get to May's locker as quickly as he could before his friends realised. Especially Eddy. Edd would be teased endlessly had he known what was going on.

He sucked in a sharp breath and trudged forward, only to collide with something that had come along in the opposite direction. A soft oof could be heard from the other end, just as the papers in his hands flew in the air in multiple directions. He tried to break his fall by using his feet to regain balance; however, he tripped over his feet and fell flat onto the floor. He let out a groan, but his moment with pain was interrupted as a tanned hand thrust itself into view.

Edd looked up, only for his whole body to shut down and become rigid. He admired the girl in front of him, unabashed and for an extended time, not wanting to interrupt the surreal moment. Nazz smiled at him with her full red-lips, displaying her million-watt smile that took Edd's breath away. The ethereal lustre of the stars couldn't even begin to match the allure of Nazz's eyes that seemed to hypnotise him. He was rendered speechless as he lay a hand against his breastbone, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

"Double D?" she asked, her hand that was offered slowly moving back to lay beside her body. "Are you okay, dude?"

"Huh—what?" he murmured absentmindedly, his eyes sparkling the longer he looked at her. Nazz only giggled, shaking her head, her short poker-straight hair moving along with the action. It was as if beams of sunlight shone down on her, forming a halo around her being; he was mesmerised, to say the least.

"You're funny, dude. I'll catch you later, I guess," she said with a soft smile and wave. It was only when she turned around the corner and disappeared that he let out a shaky breath, a wistful smile taking over his lips.

"She called me dude," he gushed, dreamily.

"Oi, what're you doing on the floor, Double D?" Eddy's pinched face came into view, breaking into his thoughts.

"No fair, Double D! You get to hug the floor!" Ed complained, falling flat on his face. "Look I'm making a snow angel!"

Eddy slapped his forehead, his pale complexion turning a light pink. "There's no snow, Ed!"

Clearing his throat, Edd hastily got up and collected all the paper on the floor before Ed could scrunch them up with his flailing limbs.

Eddy crossed his arms. "So? You gonna tell me or?"

"I-It's nothing. I only...collided with Nazz, is all."

The short boy almost jumped on him, eyes wide. "You _collided_ with Nazz?! What did she say? Did she say anythin' about me? I knew she couldn't resist my ch—"

"No, Eddy, she didn't say anything about you." He sighed heavily, focusing on re-stacking May's homework. "Rather, we bumped into one another, she asked me if I was well and went on her way. That's all."

"Huh. Weird. Chicks dig me."

"Since when do they 'dig' you, Eddy?"

"Since when do they not?"

Edd shot him a _'really?'_ look. "My apologies, I had forgotten how much of an adored and handsome fellow you are," he said, with light sarcasm. Eddy narrowed his eyes at his friend, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Sockhead." He tapped his foot impatiently as his eyes looked over the stack Edd was struggling to hold. "What were ya doin', anyway?"

"He was colliding with Nazz, Eddy." The two boys shot Ed a frown before turning away from him.

"I'm compiling the homework I've done."

Eddy raised an eyebrow at that, eyeing the stack that he was piling up in his hands. "Huh. I didn't know we had _that_ much stuff to hand in."

Now, Edd was visibly panicking. His hands tremored so much that he feared he would drop the papers in his hands. Sweat formed on his brow as he forced a smile. "Well, uh, this is the work for the next two weeks. I've completed everything in advance."

This seemed to soothe Eddy as he let out a chortle. "You'll never change, huh, Double D?"

"I hope not Eddy." He took a step forward, trying to get away as quickly as he could. "Anyway, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere rather important to be."

"Where ya going, Double D?" Ed asked from the floor.

Eddy snorted. "Probably to the teacher or somethin'."

Edd blew out a breath, relieved that Eddy had filled in for him without even knowing. He felt terrible for falsifying his situation, but he honestly didn't want to be made fun of. Of course, Edd would tell them the truth once they were alone and when there was time to do so. Until then, he was to bear it alone.

He grunted as he somehow managed to get to May's locker. Turning his head to the side, he could see her there, too. Half her body seemed to be swallowed by the inside of her locker.

"M-May?"

Startled, she stepped back and shut the door defensively, eyes wide. Upon meeting eyes with Double D, her tense shoulders relieved. "Oh, it's you!"

"Yes, um, I've completed last months homework that you were supposed to hand in as well the tasks from this week." May swooped in and grabbed the stack from him, shoving his neatly done work mercilessly into her locker. He would have winced had she not looked at him at that exact moment.

"Thanks, Double D!" She shot him a wide smile. "I owe ya one."

"Oh—uh, no need for thanks, May." He fumbled with his fingers, awkwardly; it bothered him that she spoke as if he had _volunteered_ to do her homework. "I shall take my leave, then?"

"Wait!" Edd froze and waited with bated breath, afraid to even move a muscle. She hesitated, one foot turning inwards as she looked down, hiding her eyes. "Can you...can ya give this to Ed for me?"

She handed him a pink heart-shaped card with red crayon scribbled all over the front of it. It read:

_To Ed,_

_Luk inside!_

_Luv May. _

Edd grimaced. The back of his neck tingled and his fingers twitched; he felt compelled to open the card so that he could make sense of what she was trying to do and ease into it gently when it came to giving it to Ed. But, he also understood that it was a special, and private, item of May's that he was entrusted with. As much as he wanted to give in to his curious impulse, he had to push it down.

"Will you?"

Edd startled. "H-huh?"

"Will ya give this to him?" repeated May.

"O-oh, uh, of course." He didn't know how he was going to explain Ed's natural, usual reaction of disgust to May. _I shall deal with it when it comes._ "You can count on me."

* * *

"What the heck is that thing?" Eddy asked with a grimace as Ed stared at the card in front of him. They were seated in the cafeteria after their wondrous, knowledge-filled classes, the air filled with soft chatters of other students.

However, Edd couldn't enjoy it to the fullest extent as he was too worried about handing the card over to Ed and making sure he didn't create such a scene. If he did, Edd didn't even want to imagine the suffering brought upon him by May.

Though, regrettably, things hadn't gone the way Edd wanted them to. He certainly hadn't anticipated revealing the card to them in public. Still, unfortunately, Ed had caught the small card slipping from underneath his beanie and snatched it away before he could react.

"It—it's—"

"Wait, wait, don't tell me, Sockhead. Is it a love letter?" When Edd didn't respond in time, Eddy cackled, slapping the table so hard that the contents of their lunch, jiggled. "That's hilarious! Lumpy's got a secret admirer or somethin'?"

"It says 'Luv May', Eddy!" He paused before looking up at his two friends, dumbfounded. "Is she in our class?" The smile on Eddy's face vanished, and he shot him a blank look.

"May? As in May KANKER?!" He glared at Edd. "What was that thing doing in your hat, Sockhead?"

Edd stuttered, feeling sweat roll down from under his hat and down the sides of his face. "N-nothing! I..."

"You?" When he only gazed down at his lunch, Eddy leaned forward. "C'mon, spill!"

He sighed, giving in. "Alright, fine!" Looking around to make sure no one could hear, he leaned in as much as the table would allow. "To keep what's underneath my hat, private, I must do what May says."

"And that includes giving love letters to Ed?!"

"That's just the minimum requirement, I presume," Edd said with a sigh, poking at the tuna salad his mother had made for him.

Eddy ran a hand down his face, roughly. "Great. Just waltz on over to the Kankers, why don't ya? Clearly, you're one of them now."

"Excuse you, Eddy, but I vividly remember you stating to do whatever they want as to not bring attention to the two of you!"

Eddy growled. "I didn't think they'd use you to get to _us_, Sockhead!"

Edd placed a hand against his forehead, closing his eyes for a second. "Of course they would do that, Eddy. That's all they want! Us!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just do your May helpin' quietly," Eddy replied, waving a hand dismissively. Ed still sat there, staring at the card unblinkingly.

"For Pete's sake, look _inside_ the card, Ed!"

"Oh." Ed did so only to let out an ear-splitting scream afterwards, chucking the card in Eddy's face as if it was on fire.

Eddy grunted and roughly grabbed it from his face, analysing it himself. "What's wrong with you, you incompetent boo—" The scowl from his face vanished as his eyes trailed to the end of the card. His cheeks puffed out, holding back a laugh. "This is gold, Double D! May wants Ed to be her _boyfriend!_" As if he couldn't hold it back a second longer, his mouth parted to let out a roaring laugh, his face turning a deep shade of red.

Edd's lips pinched together and watched as his friend laughed immaturely, garnering the attention of other nearby students. He glanced at the door, in case May were to witness what was occurring. He reached out to grab the card away from him slowly when a figure stopped at the table.

He quickly retracted his hand and plastered a smile on his face as he turned to face whoever it was. His heart pulsated, causing his chest to constrict painfully at the thought of it being May.

"Ma—" As his eyes met with those of Nazz, his body loosened, releasing any tension he held and was replaced by a sudden lightness. "—Nazz!"

"Hey, dude, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

Kevin stood beside her with his arms crossed, and eyes narrowed dangerously. Edd gulped, looking away from him to the serene girl standing beside the table, near him.

"I-I would be delighted to help you, Nazz," he said, hoping his voice didn't sound too high-pitched. He could feel the piercing stares of his two friends and tried to ignore it as he looked over the piece of paper that she handed to him.

It was her math homework; he scanned it and hummed, pointing to the second question. "I see you're having difficulty with this one."

"Yeah, I just don't get it, Double D."

"Hmm, not to worry. This is a very challenging question, after all. I can certainly see the reason why you were stuck."

She looked like she was trying to hide a smile, eyes sparkling slightly. "Sure..."

"With this equation, you have to gather all the variable terms to one side and separate the constant terms to the other." When he only received a blank gaze from the girl he admired, he smiled softly.

"May I use your pencil?" She handed it to him, and he began to scribble on her sheet. "See here—you subtract 3x and add 4 to both sides. Now, it becomes 6x minus 4 subtracted by 3x plus 4 on one side. Considering that, we must do the same on the other so that it becomes 3x plus 2 subtracted by 3x plus 4. Am I making sense so far, Nazz?"

She looked utterly lost but bopped her head up and down, anyway, plastering a small smile on her face. "Totally."

Edd scratched his neck. "If you don't understand, feel free to express that to me. I will gladly explain until you are confident in comprehending this question."

The smile slowly faded, and her gaze focused on the piece of paper in front of him. "Well, I just don't get how any of that relates to the original equation."

"Ah! You see, you don't change the 6x minus 4. Rather, you simply subtract 3x and add 4 beside it. Then, you repeat that with the equation after the equal-to sign. After that, you combine the like terms." He furiously wrote down what he was preaching onto the sheet, doing the equation for her as she watched on with wide eyes. "And then you divide the answer, which in this case is 6, by 3 to isolate the variable and there you have it! x is equal to 2. So, you must substitute the 2 into the original equation in place of x. Now, I'll let you work out the answer, Nazz."

As he placed the pencil down, he looked up only for his body to become rigid. The whole table was silent as every single individual stared at Edd as if he had grown a second head. He hadn't realised he had gone off on a tangent until he had finished speaking. Edd yanked at his collar with an index finger, letting out a squeaky laugh.

"Y-Yes? Is there something the matter?"

"Yeah," Eddy spat, eyes wide. "You're the matter. How much more of a nerd can ya get?!"

"Eddy, please." Edd rolled his eyes, letting his body slacken. "Mathematics is a must-know for every individual to acquire t—"

"Yap, yap, whatever, I didn't really want an answer from ya."

"Come on, Nazz, let's get away from these _dorks_," Kevin shot in, lips thinning as his gaze met with Edd's. Nazz grabbed the sheet of paper and looked at the equation that he had just worked on, a bright smile growing on her tanned face.

"Thanks for your help, dude! I totally get it now!"

"I'm glad I could be of help, Nazz. Please, don't hesitate to find me if such a predicament arises again."

"Sure thing." With a small wave, she was off with Kevin. The Eds gawked as she walked away, wobbly smile and heart-filled eyes ever-present. That was until Eddy whipped around, face pinched as soon as the swinging doors of the cafeteria took Nazz away.

"What was that about, huh Romeo?"

"Why I have no clue as to what you're talking about, Eddy."

"Don't play dumb with m—" The loud slam of the cafeteria doors against the walls shut Eddy up almost immediately. He snapped his head back so fast, Edd was sure he heard a soft crack emitting from his neck. Following his stiff friends' gaze, he stilled, too.

"Kankers," Eddy spat out through clenched teeth.

_Oh, dear Lord,_ Edd thought as May made eye contact with him. She offered him a small smile, one that unnerved him despite it not being threatening at all. He forced his shaky lips to return May's smile, but when he could not, tore his gaze away instantly. Edd forced himself to pay attention to the lunch in front of him, even though he had lost his appetite long ago.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see the trio making their way over to their table. Edd squeezed his eyes, willing them to stay away. He wasn't in the mood to be humiliated by three girls who lacked any understanding of personal space and harassment.

Eddy sat there, frazzled and pale as he leaned into Ed to try and keep as much space between them as possible. Of course, it didn't work as Lee noticed him first. And, unsurprisingly, he was given a dangerous glare from Lee for a split second before she turned away.

"Whatcha doin' cutie?"

Eddy mumbled under his breath, "Trying to get away from you, whaddya think?"

"What was that?!"

"N-Nothing!" he replied, voice shrill.

"Looks to me like you're tryna get away from us."

He scoffed, eyes darting around. "I would never do such a thing." They then landed on Edd. "Would I, Double D?"

Everyone's eyes swivelled to him, and he gulped. Glancing at May and how quiet she was being, Edd couldn't help but doubt their intentions. Had she told her sisters anyway in some sort of revenge? How could he blindly believe a Kanker and expect her to keep such an important secret concealed and confined away in the deepest part of her mind?

Edd tapped his fingers together while steepled, avoiding eye contact. "W-why, yes Eddy, he—we would never even think of..." He trailed off with an audible intake of breath as Marie stepped up close, nose brushing against his. Automatically he jerked back, eyes bulging; really, it shouldn't be a surprise as to what they were up to, but no matter how many times they were forced into such situations, they were never able to get accustomed to it.

"No, no, leave!" Ed cried from opposite him. Edd scurried away from Marie and sat on the other end of the long chair. It didn't stop her, though, she jumped on him and wrapped him up in her arms as if he was a baby. Though, he wasn't paying much attention to her anymore, anyway. He surveyed the scene in front of him as May sat next to their big friend who was green in the face and ready to cry a river.

"Did you get my letter, Big Ed? Did you like it?" she asked, cupping her cheeks with her hands as he leaned forward. She smiled brightly, but it slightly wavered when he flailed his arms around.

"No, leave Ed alone, disgusting girl!" he yelled before running away, back slightly bent backwards as he crashed through the cafeteria doors. Everyone stopped moving, even Marie, and turned to look at May. Strangely, Lee glanced at Edd, as if she was waiting for him to do something. Unnerved, he turned his gaze away and focused on May, again. Her face was swollen as if she was about to burst any second but then surprised everyone by only letting out a chuckle.

He tilted his head, observing her carefully when her gaze met with his. He jerked in his spot but didn't move—he was indebted to her, after all. That was if she did, in fact, keep the secret.

_Stop with your doubts, man!_ He scolded himself. _The Kankers will always catch you off guard, regardless of whether they know your secret or not. _

May's eyes slid to the side, indicating to the doors Ed had hurled himself through with a jerk of her head. Edd could only assume that she wanted him to bring him back so she could have her way with him. Under ordinary circumstances, he would never allow such a thing—but since this was his life on the line, he had to.

Dramatic? Perhaps, but the only thing that he cared about so profoundly to protect was what was under his hat. The fact that it was being threatened by an outsider only instilled deep fear within him, chest aching painfully. Edd was going to do everything in his will to keep it a secret.

He acquiesced in her request. So, straightening his weak shoulders, he pushed himself up off the chair and strode off, after Ed.

"Wh—don't leave me, Sockhead!" Eddy cried, crushed in Lee's arms as she attempted to hug him.

"Yeah, where ya going, Oven Mitt?!" The blue-haired girl screamed.

Edd stilled a little, footsteps wavering as he turned. He watched his friend flailing about and felt the sudden need to rescue him. However, he caught a glimpse of May and the urgency in her eyes. It was a reminder that she had an advantage over him.

With eyes squeezed shut, he turned away and forced himself to move forward.

"Just forget about him. You still have us, dontcha?" Lee cackled. "We can have a little one on one time, now, huh girls?"

"He _is_ kinda cute for a short kid. Count me in!" Marie's shrill voice echoed. The other students, and surprisingly May, just watched on with pained expressions as the two girls practically devoured him as if he was a limited main course meal.

Edd's ribs tightened as he heard Eddy's shrieks ring out from the cafeteria walls. However, he forced himself to tune him out as he raced through the doors. Now, he just had to find Ed and bring him back to May so that they could have some _quality_ time together. He shuddered as he began his investigation. He was starting to sound selfish...much like Eddy.

And it was all a certain May Kanker's fault.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Apologies for the delay and the super short chapter! I've been really busy and just trying to get something out there. But, the next chapter will be longer and more interesting! I hope lol.

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

"As soon as this day comes to an end, you apologise to Eddy for your behaviour, Eddward," he mumbled to himself as he looked in every nook and corner to find Ed. Passing by his locker, Edd stopped in his tracks when he heard panting. He tilted his head and came closer, reaching out to open it.

"Ed?"

"No, get away, get away!" The tall boy screamed as Edd opened it, only to reveal him cramped inside, face pale.

"Dear Ed, it's only me, Double D."

At that, Ed opened his shut eyes and released a sigh. "Double D! I am glad to see you!" He swallowed a large lump that, disturbingly, Edd could see. "Is she gone?!"

"They're still in the cafeteria, Ed." He paused, brain-racking to think up an excuse that Ed would believe. "So, to avoid meeting them again, shall we take another route?"

Ed brightened up and wiggled himself out of his compact locker. Edd hoped he wouldn't voice any suspicion as he walked beside him in the direction of where May's locker was situated. His hands were clasped together, fingers twiddling as they got closer. His eyes darted around before he came to a stop, right by her locker.

"Good lord, the walk here was so strenuous!" he muttered, loud enough so that Ed could hear, despite possibly not understanding. Edd took exaggerated breaths, placing his hands on his stomach as his body slightly body bent over.

"Boy, you're weak," Ed observed with a tilt of his head.

"Thank you for that reminder, Ed."

Luckily for him, a few seconds later, rapid footsteps could be heard from around the corner. From the corner of his eyes, Ed didn't even seem to notice, picking at something in his teeth. Edd would typically be disgusted with such a scene, but he wasn't quite in the mood to scold Ed when his stomach was twisted into knots at the prospect of May's arrival.

He was such a horrible friend. He confirmed that when he witnessed Ed's horrified face when May's lit up as if lights on a Christmas tree, jumping over to where they were.

"Big Ed, you really came by! Does that mean ya wanna be my boyfriend?!"

"No, you're disgusting!" Ed exclaimed. May recoiled as if she had been struck across the face and Edd's eyes widened. He looked up at his big friend who trembled behind him.

"Now, Ed, M—" Without even waiting for Edd to finish his sentence, Ed ran off with his arms in the air as if he was being chased. The smart boy sighed and dreaded the rage he would receive on the other end once he turned around. He cracked his neck, trying to prepare himself and spun around slowly on his heels. Only to step back at what his eyes were witnessing.

May was staring down at her hands, her chin trembling and skin splotchy. Edd pulled at his shirt, not sure how to react.

"Uh, M-May?"

"Oh, Double D!" She pressed the heel of her palms into her eyes and plastered a smile on her face. "I forgot you were here."

"Right," he muttered, tilting his head. "Are you...alright? Don't mind Ed, he can be a little...eccentric. He didn't mean what he said, I assure you. He's just a little shy!" However, it looked like no amount of excuses could help May feel better about the situation.

He didn't want that to happen. If she was upset, or mad, she would react horribly and take revenge on him as Ed was _his_ friend. And he failed to help her. Suddenly, an idea formed in his head and he straightened up.

"I'll be right back! Do not move!" As he raced off, he left a confused May behind.

"I think there's still time 'till lunch is over so...I'll be here?" she replied to the empty hallway.

* * *

Edd walked by the endless rows of stale blue lockers, struggling to pull Ed's pants up as it came loose on his skinny waist. Hoisting it up for the umpteenth time seemed to bring its own challenges as the oversized dark green jacket's sleeves seemed to go past his fingers and cover his hands. It took a while to coax Ed into giving Edd his clothes so that he could put on a show for May. However, once he mentioned that it was for the greater good and that his clothes would be helping a poor, lost soul in need of helping, Ed very happily gave in, kissing Sheldon and placing it in the pocket for good luck.

Edd would have spewed had not the graveness of the situation dawn on him. As soon as the coast of clear, he disposed of the mouldy old cheese, apologised to Ed in his mind and waddled on his way to where May would be. There were very few students walking about in the hallway during lunch, much to his fortune, so being humiliated was the least of his worries.

To complete the look of Ed, long cardboard was rolled up into a cylinder shape and wrapped around Edd's neck with tape. However, it was starting to become a burden; it was itchy and slightly heavy but he marched forward, determined to see this through. If he succeeded with this and pleased May, then there would be less things to do for her when the time came.

Still, as he approached the confused, bored-looking girl leaning against the locker, his steps faltered. His face contorted and he fumbled with the long sleeves.

"Oh, this is not going to work. What was I thinking?! Dressing up as Ed? Please," he berated himself in a whisper as he slowly came closer. "May would surely recognise me in this obtuse attempt to fool her."

He hadn't even closed the distance when May happened to turn her head, eyes meeting his. Edd slightly froze but kept moving forward, walking ridiculously slowly. That didn't seem to deter May, however, as her eyes honed in on him.

"Big Ed? You...came?" she whispered softly as if she couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that May actually believed that he was his bigger and much taller friend. Edd tried to shake away his surprise and nod but the cardboard on his neck prevented him from doing so; he smiled instead, trying to imitate his very good friend.

"Of course, May!" He channelled his inner-Ed, speaking from his chest and trying to deliver a deeper, sluggish but goofier tone to his usual, slightly high-pitched voice. "Toast with butter and a pretty girl is my favourite."

May guffawed as if he had told the best joke in the world, the corner of her eyes crinkling. "Yer hilarious, Ed!"

"Right I am, blond girl!" Edd added in Ed's signature rambunctious horselaugh; it was perfectly executed, too, if he had to say so himself. However, before he could smile to himself, a blur of yellow filled his vision and his ribs were squeezed tightly by something—or someone—with an iron-like grip.

"M-May?"

"Oh, Ed, I've dreamed of this day for so so sooo long!" she said, voice muffled in his chest as her embrace coiled around his being and tightened as if he was being suffocated by a snake.

"That's me! I love making dreams of little kids come true."

"Well, I wanna show you to the rest of the school and my sisters! They'll be so jealous when they see you with me." She started to drag him in the direction of the cafeteria and Edd spluttered, face turning red.

"N-No, anywhere but the cafeteria!" May paused and stared at him. "I wanna eat gravy! And I wanna eat it in the..." His brain whirred for a few seconds. "...janitors closet! I have gravy in my pocket and we can share them in there or else, everyone else would wanna get some, too."

She seemed to think this through quite seriously, her eyebrows creased and her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. Edd waited to let out a relieved sigh, not until she completely agreed would he do such a thing. If they didn't get to the janitors closet, and fast, there was no doubt May would get him to go to the cafeteria and get him caught.

The way she looked up at him then, her lips widening into a silly, love-struck smile made him quiver in his shoes. Her eyes were practically replaced by pink hearts and Edd was afraid she would pounce on him any second. Though, she didn't look very threatening, just flushed and giddy.

As a young, infatuated girl would be, of course.

He gulped and tried not to make his stepping back that obvious. Instead, he offered her a small, trembling smile in response, hoping it didn't look quite as if he was constipated.

"I love the idea of sharing gravy in the janitors closet! Big Ed, you're so dreaaaaamy and _soooo_ romantic!"

"I—"

"Now put those lips together and make like a fish!"

"Wait, _what!?_" Edd squeaked out, the throaty voice that he was imitating, suddenly disappearing as this news was forced upon him. May blinked, leaning her head back a little to get a good look at him.

"Don't you wanna kiss me? We're a couple now."

Edd didn't know how to answer that; he could feel a flush creep across his cheeks, his spine bending backwards as he slanted away from her. "W-Well, that's not...I really should-"

"And what the _heck_ are you two doin'?!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: **

He jumped away from May as fast, and as far, as he could. The force of it, though, caused his body to slam against the lockers. Edd didn't care about the sharp pain that shot up through his spine, oh no, his frantic eyes were more focused on an annoyed Lee and a very enraged Marie.

She sneered as her gaze fell upon her younger sister, hip jutted to the side. "What were you doin' with my dreamboat, huh?"

May flushed a deep, dark red that made Edd want to hide and crawl away. Her reaction made it seem as if they were caught doing something they were clearly not supposed to. That and Marie had just exposed to her that he wasn't actually Ed.

"Your...dreamboat?" Edd tried not to flinch when those large, owl-like brown eyes looked into his as if trying to decipher what that meant. "That's...Double D? Not Big Ed?"

It was time to come clean—it was now or never, he supposed. He couldn't keep lying to her and her sisters were right there. If he lied, which he wasn't a big fan of doing in the first place, then they would make sure he would never do so to them, again.

Edd wasn't in the mood to get pummelled into pulp that day. So, he shot an apologetic glance in May's direction before reaching up with shaky hands to unwrap the cylinder around his neck and take his jacket off. What occurred right after was a loud gasp from the blonde's mouth.

"Y-You lied to me, Double D?"

Edd winced. "I am deeply sorry for pretending to be Ed. It was just that," he eyed her sisters that stood there, arms crossed as they listened, "you looked very down and since Ed wouldn't show up, I took it upon myself to make you feel better on behalf of my friend." Of course, that wasn't the truth but it was better than telling her outwardly that he was afraid she would declare to everyone his secret and that he was going along with everything so that she wouldn't.

Marie walked up to him and pushed her body up against his. He spluttered, choking on his saliva at the unexpected proximity. Her lanky, pale arms were placed against the lockers, caging him in. "So, you don't like her or nothing, right?"

"N-N-No, of course not!"

Her lips quirked up slyly, eyes flashing. "Good."

"Oi, what're you doing to our friend?!"

Edd tilted his head to peek over Marie's shoulder, only to find Eddy storming up to the four of them. His eyebrows were pulled together tightly and his lips were pressed in a thin line. But, what stood out the most were the red, very obvious, lipstick marks all over his face. "First, Ed ditches me and then you! How co—wait, why're ya dressed as Ed?"

"It's a very long story," Edd provided, his eyes darting between Marie and Eddy; the former wasn't even paying attention to Eddy, eyes on Edd as if she was going to start kissing him immediately.

"That's it? You ain't gonna tell me anything?" Eddy's eyes then fell upon Lee and he stiffened. "Oh, heck no."

"What is it, sugar-lips?"

"N-Nothin', just...realised I got some homework to do!" He went to race away when Lee, without even moving, grabbed the back of his collar, stopping him.

"Oh, you ain't goin' nowhere. We're not done with you, yet."

"What?!" Eddy then looked at Edd for help, arms flailing as he tried to get out of the redhead's grasp. "Double D, don't just stand there! Help me!"

"I-I'm sorry, Eddy!" Edd squeaked out through clenched teeth, trying to move away from Marie. "I'm in a dilemma myself."

Every time he would try to inch his body away, she would only get closer to his body. Every part of her was practically pressed up against his body and he tried his utmost best not to shudder...or flush red for that matter. The heat rising from his toes to his head was too much to bear and he wasn't sure if he could hold in the embarrassment of the situation much longer.

"Stop it, you guys!"

The ruckus turned to silence as all eyes were on May. Marie even moved away from Edd a little, giving him a little space and time to get his breathing back. It was suffocating being around her.

"Just stop bothering them, already!"

"And why do you care?" Marie shot in.

"Because...the teacher will catch us and give us detention, again."

Lee dropped Eddy down like a sack of potatoes, turning her attention to her sister instead. "We get detentions all the time, May."

"So? Mom gets super mad every time that happens and I don't wanna get in trouble no more."

Marie only scoffed. "Wow, what a goodie-two-shoes."

Edd and Eddy spared a glance at each other, the latter gesturing with his eyes to make a run for it. Edd observed the girls and made sure they were only paying attention to each other before racing away, Eddy beating him in speed as he came out in front.

"Faster, Sockhead, c'mon!"

"I'm trying, Eddy!" He panted and tried to look over his shoulder, to see if the Kankers' were behind them. But they were nowhere to be seen; he slowed down a little as a result. "Eddy, we can stop running at such a high speed. They aren't chasing us."

"Well, I don't wanna risk seeing those stupid Kankers so just hurry up! We gotta find Ed, too!"

"Ed's," Edd said mid-pant, "in his locker."

"Wait, what?" Eddy came to a stop. "Did ya say he was _in_—actually, I'm not that surprised, to be honest. This is Ed we're talkin' about."

"Precisely."

"Then, let's go!"

Turning the corner, they made a break for the corridor where their lockers were—Nazz, Kevin and Rolf stood nearby, chatting. They had to make sure they didn't bring attention to them; the last thing they needed was to be teased by the cul-de-sac kids.

Eddy yanked open Ed's locker and tried to drag him out. Edd fumbled with his fingers as he turned his head over his shoulder. And of course, the others were watching with perplexed expressions.

"What is noodlehead Ed boy doing in his locker?"

Edd tried to distract him whilst Eddy did the work. If there were any of the usual ruckuses there now, the Kankers would hear and potentially get to them.

"You see Rolf, he's practising his flexibility. He isn't very good at-"

"So, he stuffed himself into a locker to practise flexibility?!" Kevin guffawed. "As if, dork!"

As they all left, laughing at them, Edd scratched the back of his neck. He waited for a few seconds, part of him expecting the Kankers to jump out from around the corner and pin them to the ground. But, nothing had happened.

So far.

And, though his poorly thought excuse didn't work, it gave Eddy time to grab Ed.

"C'mon lumpy, we don't have all day!"

"But, I'm scared, Eddy! The scary, yucky girls will come out and kiss me."

"Not to worry, Ed," Edd jumped in this time, patting the loveable oaf's shoulder. "It seems we've lost them. But, just to make sure, we can hide outside under the bleachers! School finishes soon, anyway, so as soon as that bell rings, we can go back home!"

"Okay, so hide?"

"Yes, we're gonna hide!" Eddy said through gritted teeth. As they ran towards the bleachers, what Edd didn't know was a certain someone was watching him.

* * *

"If it weren't for the bleachers, we'd be dead meat! Those stupid Kankers were probably lookin' everywhere for us."

"Yes, well, I'm certain they got tired of searching," Edd said, as the three of them walked together to leave. It was the end of school and everyone had already rushed out to relax or study for the rest of the day. The latter was Edd's plan, right after he cleaned his room and helped his mother prepare supper.

"Gravy and toast time!" Ed yelled, racing ahead of them.

Eddy shook his head. "Ugh, shut up, lumpy, is that all you think of?"

Edd's stomach clenched and twisted into a thousand knots. The feeling made him feel uneasy and so he dug into his satchel to make sure he had everything.

_English, the Geography project is here, Math...hold on a second...where's my Math book?_

"Oh, no!" He raced to catch up to his friends. "Gentleman, we have a crisis!"

Eddy and Ed stopped at the front door and turned to look at him. The former spoke up, crossing his arms. "What is it, Sockhead?"

"I'm afraid I can't find my Math textbook!" Eddy and Ed only stared at their friend blankly but Edd didn't notice as he continued to rant. "Oh, the horror! The Math assignment is due in a week and I am ashamed to admit that I haven't even started! I can't fail t—"

"Check your locker, Double D!" Ed quipped in with a goofy smile. Eddy snickered as Edd turned red.

"Oh."

"Yeah, Sockhead. Looks like Ed here's got more of a brain than you do today." With loud laughter that sounded like it erupted from deep within his gut, Eddy slapped his friend's shoulder and began walking ahead. "We'll wait for ya outside, so hurry up."

Edd narrowed his eyes before turning and speed-walking to his locker. He couldn't help but mumble to himself and curse himself for being so utterly foolish.

"How could I not realise that the textbook could possibly be in my locker?"

Just as he got to his locker, he glanced around to see that there was no one in sight. It was as if everyone had raced home as soon as the bell rang, even the teachers. It was too silent. Edd hummed before opening his locker. He bent his body to peek inside and gently sift through his neatly arranged folders and books to find his Math book.

"Double D, can I talk to ya?"

Edd stiffened, half of his body swallowed by the locker. Of course, this had to happen to _him_ of all people. And how convenient, too.

_Curse my horrible luck. _


End file.
